


Nights Like These

by sphekso



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bonfires, First Relationship, Gonna be long, M/M, Mild Language, Really I can't emphasize "slow burn" enough so stick with it it'll happen, Slow Burn, Some Fluff, Some Serious, The fic's just getting started!, Underage Drinking, Won't be super angsty though just serious?, beach party, romantic beginnings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2018-11-18 08:37:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11287641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sphekso/pseuds/sphekso
Summary: What happens when a brand-new high school freshman crashes a beach party full of upperclassmen? Yuuri Katsuki is about to find out, and by the end of the night he'll be presented with a simple question from a not-so-simple boy. His answer will set him on a path to grow in ways he never could've predicted.





	1. How the Leopard Got Its Spots

Yuuri was underdressed. It was colder out there than in the city, and the short sleeves that had served him fine an hour ago weren’t enough to protect his arms from the brisk sea breeze.

“You coming?” his friend Phichit asked.

“Yeah,” Yuuri said. “Sorry.” He hopped out of Phichit’s open-air Jeep and surveyed the area.

The little gravel parking lot they stood in wasn’t technically lit, but the brilliant stars and moon above them illuminated the few parked cars perfectly. And past the lot, of course, was the ocean. Even the surf was visible thanks to the display in the sky.

Phichit tapped his fist against Yuuri’s side. “Hey, wake up. Let’s get down there.”

Yuuri let his eyes drag down the coast to a mass of yellow and red flames licking their way toward the cosmos. It seemed to him that the fire and the Milky Way were in luminous competition to see which could cast the stronger glow.

He and Phichit made their way down the dunes to reach the shoreline. The bonfire itself was maybe a football field away, and Yuuri could make out at least a dozen backlit figures scattered around it. There were probably more kids there than he could see. The thought scared him a little, and he found himself shivering—not from the cold, but from his own keyed-up nerves.

Two of the silhouettes lifted up off the sand at their approach. A guy and a girl, it seemed. The guy held his arm halfway up in greeting. He was holding a can, which Yuuri assumed was beer. It _was_ a high school party, after all.

“Yo!” the guy called. “Who’s there? Are you—“ he cut himself off, took a big swallow of beer, and chuckled under his breath.

Yuuri and Phichit shared a worried look.

“What’s wrong, JJ?” the girl asked, moving toward them. “Who is it?” She paused to study them, then crossed her arms. “Are you two lost?”

The friends exchanged another look. “No,” Phichit said firmly, apparently mustering all his bravery. “We’re here for the bonfire.”

The beer guy—JJ—broke into real laughter. “Sorry, kids.” He held out his arm at shoulder height, palm flat to the ground. “You must be this tall to ride.”

The girl whispered, “Cool it, JJ,” and walked up to meet them. “What’re your names?”

Yuuri was suddenly very aware that every eye at the low-key beach party was focused on him now. “Uh, I’m Yuuri,” he said, surprising himself by speaking first.

“And you?” the girl asked.

“Phichit.”

“Yuuri and Phichit. Huh. Well, you _do_ look a little young… but…” She turned to JJ. “They can’t be junior high kids. Otherwise they wouldn’t have found out about this.”

“You’re saying they’re high schoolers?” JJ shook his head. “I don’t buy it.”

“Well?” Isabella asked, turning back to them. “Are you or are you not high schoolers?”

Yuuri swallowed hard. “We are.”

“I don’t recognize them,” JJ said, “and I know everyone.”

“They could be freshmen.”

Both boys nodded. “We just started,” Phichit said.

“Huh. Well, maybe you’re in the big leagues now, but you’re still too young to hang with us,” JJ said. “Sorry, guys.”

“Hush!” Isabella snapped. “Give them a chance, at least. How old are you two?”

“Fifteen,” Yuuri said.

“Both of you?”

Phichit nodded.

“And whose idea was it to come out here tonight?”

“Phichit’s,” Yuuri said. “He dragged me here, to be honest.”

“Why didn’t you want to come?”

“Because I figured this would happen,” Yuuri said. “We’re high schoolers, yeah, but only barely.”

“Maybe,” Isabella said. She uncrossed her arms and tapped at her chin. “JJ?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“How old was I when we started going out?”

“Easy. You were—“ His grip on his beer tightened. “Dammit, Iz, why’d you have to go and say that?”

“Say what?” Yuuri asked quickly. In all honesty he was eager to get rejected so they could get back to Phichit’s PS4.

“I was you guys’s age,” Isabella said. Her features were mostly obscured with the bonfire behind her, but her wide smile was easy enough to make out. “Let’s get you boys some beers.”

Phichit grinned back at her. “Sounds great,” he said. He sounded thrilled.

On the other hand, Yuuri wasn’t sure what to think. It didn’t seem they’d be playing Call of Duty anytime soon, though. “I’m, uh, I’m not thirsty,” Yuuri said, adjusting his glasses. He hoped the orange glow of the bonfire hid the blush on his cheeks.

“No?” Isabella asked with a hint of a smirk in her voice. “Alright. The coolers are over there, Phichit. Help yourself, but don’t get too messed up, okay? You’re only here on a provisional basis.”

Phichit shrugged, as happy-go-lucky as ever, and headed for the coolers.

Yuuri shoved his hands in his pockets, unsure what to say or do next. JJ had apparently lost interest fast, and was already walking back to a little group of kids who looked about his age. Eighteen, probably? Maybe even nineteen… JJ seemed like the type who might get held back a year.

“So, Yuuri,” Isabella said, pulling Yuuri back to reality. “I’m really curious why you two came tonight. You don’t know any of us, right?”

Yuuri nodded. “Phichit heard from someone else… A sophomore, I think. It’s only the first week of school, but he’s always so social, he told me we had to come. He said we’d make new friends.”

Isabella smiled again. “Do you wanna be friends with me, Yuuri?”

Yuuri blushed harder. “I… don’t know.”

“Don’t you like me?” she asked coyly.

“Y-yeah. But I don’t know anything about you.”

“You know I saved your ass just now. That’s something a friend would do, isn’t it?”

“I guess so?”

Isabella giggled, and Yuuri realized she was at least a little bit drunk. “I’m only two years older than you, you know. We could still be friends. But hey, look around, maybe you’ll find a crowd you like more. I won’t be upset. Promise.”

Yuuri took the opportunity to scan the area around the bonfire. Everyone was sitting in groups of three or four, except for a boy and a girl playing at the edge of the waves, and—

Isabella followed his gaze. “Oh,” she said shortly. “Anyone but him. I _will_ be upset if you try to make friends with him.”

Yuuri’s eyes found the shadowy, half-lit form of a boy sitting by himself, staring out at the ocean and occasionally taking sips from a beer can. He was far enough away from the fire that his hair looked almost silver in the moonlight.

“Why?” Yuuri asked. “Is he your ex, or something?”

“Nonononono,” Isabella shot out rapid-fire. “I would _never_ date that boy.”

“Because…?”

“He’s not like the rest of us. He’s kind of a loner.”

“So he’s an outcast?”

She waited a beat before answering. “Not exactly,” she said. “We do like him I guess, but he’s just… different.”

“Ah,” Yuuri said. “I’ve been called _different_ too.”

“Not like him.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Yuuri…” Isabella said, and caught his eyes with hers. “You’re a sweet kid. I can tell. You don’t want anything to do with Viktor Nikiforov.”

Yuuri looked away, back to the boy he now knew as Viktor. He wouldn’t have been able to explain why he was so interested in the boy sitting by himself, but he was, all the same. If he _really_ had to come up with an answer, he’d say he felt sad for him since he was all alone. But that wasn’t it. Not exactly.

Isabella sighed. “You’re not going to listen to me, are you?”

Yuuri blinked. “Um… No, I’ll listen.” Yet still he gazed at Viktor’s silhouette, watching as he took another sip of beer.

“Good,” Isabella said, though she sounded unsure. “Hey, why don’t you come over with JJ and us? We’re the _in crowd_. If you wanna jump into school society, we’re it.”

“I don’t know. I’ve never really been in an _in crowd_ ,” Yuuri said.

“So? Why not start now?”

Yuuri looked around for Phichit, and found him down by the water with the boy and girl he’d noticed earlier. They were laughing. Yuuri clenched his jaw and said, “Maybe. No… Yes.”

Isabella giggled again, covering her mouth with her hand. “Is that a _maybe_ a _no_ or a _yes_?”

Yuuri’s cheeks burned as hot as the bonfire. “It’s a yes,” he said. “I’ll hang out with you guys.”

Isabella did a little hop and clapped her hands. “Great! There’s only a couple of us here. There’s Chris,” she said, pointing him out. “He’s the eye candy of the group, but don’t tell JJ I said that. That’s Georgi.” She pointed again. “He’s going through a bad breakup, but then again, he’s _always_ going through bad breakups. He’s not really one of us so much as we feel sorry for the guy.”

“Who’s the girl?”

“The girl? Oh! That’s Sara. I know she’s pretty, but don’t get any ideas. Her brother’ll kick your ass. He’s not here tonight, though.”

“Okay… So JJ, Chris, Georgi, Sara, and Isabella. I think I’ve got it.”

“Yep. You sure you don’t want a beer?”

“Hmm,” Yuuri mused. He found his eyes drawn back to the boy he was supposed to stay away from, and _he_ was drinking, so… “Actually, I’ll have one. Why not?”

“Attaboy.”

They went over to the coolers and she fished out not one, but _two_ beers for him. He took one in each hand and followed her to her little group. The _in group_. The three others gave him a much warmer greeting than JJ had, and after a little while even JJ had relaxed toward him. They didn’t really engage him in conversation, and he didn’t speak up much, but somehow Yuuri didn’t feel like an outsider. A watcher, maybe, but not an outsider.

Meanwhile, Phichit seemed to be forming bonds of his own. That didn’t bother him. He knew Phichit would always be his best friend, even if they did fall in with different crowds.

All things considered, Yuuri had to admit the night was a success. He’d have to thank Phichit later.

The bonfire inevitably wore down to embers, and before long kids started to peel away from the party to drive back home. Yuuri knew some of the drivers were drunk, but he wasn’t really in a position to stop anyone. Not when he didn’t know them yet. His scant two beers had kicked his low tolerance in the ass, too, so his judgment wasn’t the greatest, either.

Yuuri’s group—the _in group_ —got up to leave, gathering their towels and empty beer cans.

“You have a ride, kid?” JJ asked. “There’s room in my SUV.”

“Yeah, I have one. It’s fine.”

“One more thing,” JJ said, his voice turning deadly serious all of a sudden. He gave Yuuri a stern look. “There’s something we forgot. Something you have to do to hang out with us. It won’t be easy.”

Yuuri cringed back. He should’ve known there would be some kind of hazing to get in with the popular crowd. “What is it?” he asked quietly.

JJ burned holes into him with his eyes for a solid fifteen seconds before cracking up. “There’s nothing, man. I’m just fucking with you.”

Yuuri relaxed. “Jerk,” he muttered.

JJ perked up. “What’s that?”

“Nothing,” Yuuri replied. It was probably best not to repeat the word.

JJ moved on rapidly. “Hey, listen. I gave you a lot of shit when you got here. That was wrong of me, and I’m sorry.

“Do my ears deceive me or did I just hear JJ Leroy _apologize_?” Isabella teased.

“You wound me, Iz.”

“So…” Yuuri began. He had to clear something up before they parted ways. “Was this a one-time thing?”

Chris beamed, displaying his perfectly white teeth. He hadn’t addressed Yuuri directly all night, but it appeared he was about to change that. “What, you think hanging out with us is like a one-night stand? I’ve had _many_ one-night stands, so I know one when I see one. This wasn’t one.”

“So then… Shouldn’t I give you guys my number?”

JJ smacked his forehead with his hand. “Shit! I forgot. That _would_ make things pretty tough. It’s not like we’ll have the same classes. Hey, Iz, would you stick it in your phone? You can text it out to the rest of us later.”

Isabella pulled her phone out of her back pocket. It was bright pink, and even though Yuuri had only known her for one night, the color didn’t surprise him. It even matched her nails.

He gave her his number, she gave him hers, and they said their goodbyes. Yuuri watched them clamber through the dunes to the parking lot. He heard their car’s engine start up, then rev loudly before rapidly fading into the distance, crunching gravel behind it. Apparently JJ was a speed demon, which surprised Yuuri even less than Isabella’s pink phone.

He turned back to the shoreline to find Phichit, but there was no one by the water. He searched back up and around the smoldering bonfire, but there was no one to be found there, either. His heart started to race. He scanned more and more frantically until he felt a hand at his shoulder. It was warm. Somehow he relaxed almost immediately.

“Looking for your friend?” a voice said.

Yuuri turned to the voice and his previously pounding heart thudded down to the bottom of his stomach. “Viktor?”

The other boy smiled. He looked JJ’s age, or a little younger, and it hadn’t been a trick of the light; his hair actually _was_ silver. “You know me?”

Yuuri nodded weakly.

Viktor peered at him for a moment. “I saw your friend leave with two others. I guess he thought you’d be leaving with your new _clique_.” He said the word _clique_ like it was distasteful.

“My clique…? You were watching?”

“It was hard not to, considering how much you were watching me. Come on, then. I have an empty passenger seat calling your name.”

“You don’t even _know_ my name,” Yuuri said.

“I don’t need to,” Viktor said. “Just let me give you a ride, okay?”

Yuuri searched his features for any sign of ill intent, but found none. Then again, he didn’t find anything _safe_ either. The older boy was unreadable when he wasn’t actually smiling. “Did Phichit really leave?” Yuuri asked.

“If Phichit is your friend, then yes, he did leave. Just like we’re leaving now.”

“We?”

“You _are_ coming with me, aren’t you?”

Yuuri stared at his feet for a moment, then looked back up at Viktor. Maybe he didn’t know anything about him, but Yuuri knew his only other option was to wait on the cold beach until Phichit came back to get his Jeep in the morning. He really, _really_ didn’t want to do that.

“Aren’t you?” Viktor pressed. “Be brave and answer.”

It was only then that Yuuri realized Viktor’s hand had never left his shoulder. It still felt warm in a way he didn’t understand. But he _did_ understand that with Viktor’s hand feeling as nice as it did…

There was only one answer he could give him.


	2. Too Too Too Fast

Viktor’s car was nothing special to look at, but Yuuri was still impressed. While he clearly wasn’t a rich kid, Viktor’s old coupe was still _his_ old coupe, and all Yuuri had was a learner’s permit his parents let him use once a week.

Neither boy had said a word since the beach—there’d just been the agreement Yuuri’d be coming along, then Viktor had taken his hand away from his shoulder and started walking.

Yuuri had lagged behind a little at first. He wasn’t sure what was expected of him in the situation. On the beach he’d thought he should introduce himself, but Viktor didn’t seem curious about who he was—although Yuuri was plenty curious about Viktor. But he didn’t know how he was supposed to strike up a conversation with so little to go on. He was just a fifteen-year-old kid without a name. Viktor was older, but he didn’t look as old as JJ. If Yuuri had to guess, he’d peg him at seventeen or eighteen. That made him a junior or even a senior, and Yuuri had barely even set foot in high school. The way Viktor’d calmly sipped his beer on the beach made him seem endlessly mature to Yuuri, though he couldn’t be sure of that yet, or anything else. They’d barely spoken to each other.

Viktor was parked right next to Phichit’s Jeep. He’d expected it to be empty, but it still made Yuuri a little sad that his friend had ditched him.  “He really did leave with those guys, I guess.”

Viktor just nodded in return. He took his keys out of his cargo shorts, which Yuuri noticed were frayed at the ends, but he couldn’t tell if it was from age, overuse, or an intentional fashion choice.

“See something interesting?”

Yuuri snapped to reality. He’d been lost in thought staring at Viktor’s shorts, of all things. He looked back up and forced a smile. He came up with a quick deflection: “Nothing! I was just thinking I might have the same exact shorts at home.” It didn’t come off as smoothly as he’d intended.

“Really? I doubt that.” Viktor unlocked the car from the passenger side, pulled open the door and rested his hand on top of the window. Yuuri hadn’t realized how tall he was. “Go ahead,” Viktor said.

Yuuri peered into the car. The interior wasn’t exactly spacious. The coupe had a full-sized passenger seat, but also had two unpleasant-looking smaller seats crammed in the back. He lowered himself into the far superior front seat. There were a bunch of magazines at his feet, but in the dark he couldn’t make out their covers.

Viktor shut the door after Yuuri was safely inside, and a moment later eased himself into the driver’s side. He put his key in the ignition and the coupe purred to life. It was a surprisingly even sound for a car that old, so Yuuri guessed Viktor put a lot of work into maintaining it.

He opened his mouth to say something about it, but closed it before he could get the words out. He knew he didn’t know enough about cars to hold any kind of back-and-forth about engines, so he stayed silent as Viktor shifted into reverse. The car pulled away from Phichit’s Jeep and began to crawl over the rough road leading away from the lot.

They were moving slowly, and the moon was as bright as ever, but Yuuri was increasingly alarmed by something. “Aren’t you going to turn on the headlights?”

Viktor gave a little grunt that might’ve been a chuckle. “Not yet,” he said. “I like the moonlight. Don’t you?”

“We could hit something.”

“Don’t worry so much. Here…” Viktor took his right hand off the wheel and reached across Yuuri to roll down the passenger window.

Yuuri’s breath caught in his throat as Viktor turned the old-fashioned window crank. His arm was inches from Yuuri’s chest. He didn’t take another gulp of air until Viktor was fully in his seat again. “What’d you do that for?”

“Put your arm outside,” Viktor said.

Yuuri didn’t know what to make of the order, but he had no reason to refuse it. He reached his arm into the night air. Gentle, steady wind pushed against his skin. Yuuri looked back to Viktor expecting further directions, but the older boy kept his eyes on the road.

“Is something supposed to happen?” Yuuri asked.

“It’s already happening,” Viktor said, then a moment later: “I know you’re not from here.”

“How could you tell?”

“Little things,” Viktor said. “You’ve never lived on the coast, right?”

“How do you…?”

“I just know,” Viktor answered. “But forget about that. Can you feel it? The air?”

Yuuri tilted his hand a little, causing the flow of wind to push it upward. “Sure. It’s cold.”

“No,” Viktor said. “Not the wind. The _air_. It has a texture here. Close your eyes and feel it.”

Yuuri did as he was told. He spread his fingers in the air, trying to feel whatever texture Viktor was talking about. “It’s just wind,” he said finally.

“Okay, then let’s just call it wind. Can you feel the wind on your face?”

“Yeah.”

“Then breathe in through your nose. Really smell the wind.”

Yuuri breathed deeply.

“What did you smell?”

Yuuri tilted his head to the side in thought. “Salt. So seawater, I guess.”

“How does that feel?”

“Scents don’t feel like anything, do they? Why are you having me do this?”

Viktor sighed in apparent disappointment. “You already answered why. You smelled salt. Salt is something you can feel with touch, isn’t it? So…”

“So the salt’s in the air. That’s the texture?”

Viktor brought the car to a halt and shifted into park. “When you live out here long enough you experience the sea with all your senses.”

Yuuri shook his head. “You’re acting strange.”

“Let’s get out of the car,” Viktor said. He didn’t wait for a reply. He was out and standing in moments.

Yuuri was perplexed at best. He wasn’t sure if all of this was actually as bizarre as he thought it was, or if it was just the two beers that made it seem so strange. He was probably still tipsy, so maybe this was normal—some kind of initiation from an upperclassman. He decided to go with that for the time being. He opened his eyes and got out of the car.

What he saw nearly took his breath away. While his eyes had been closed, Viktor had inched all the way up to the very edge of some kind of two-sided overlook. They could clearly see the twinkling lights of the city, but the expanse of the sea was just as clear behind them.

“I stopped here,” Viktor began, “because this is the place where everything changes. One step that way and we’re back to asphalt and steel. Right now we’re still by the sea.”

“So? I mean, it’s really pretty, but…”

“If you’re going to live out here, I want you to respect this spot. I wanted to show you before you got the wrong idea about things.”

“What wrong idea?” He searched the older boy’s features but, like before, found no answers. “Viktor, how did you know I just moved here?”

Viktor met Yuuri’s frown with a smirk. “It’s not hard to spot a mainlander, especially one who wears skinny jeans to a bonfire.”

Yuuri looked down at his legs and mentally cursed himself. “That’s all it took to give me away, huh?”

“That’s all. I’m not psychic, just observant. But about the _getting the wrong idea_ thing? When people move out to the islands, they don’t… How should I put this? On the mainland everything flows together. It was all forests way back when, but they were torn down for towns and cities. It’s all flat, other than the mountains, but almost no one lives in the mountains. Isn’t that right?” He stopped there, and Yuuri realized he was legitimately asking.

“That’s right,” he confirmed.

“Okay. So mainlanders live where it’s all flat… Nature blurs into itself. It’s just… fields and hills and swamps et cetera. But that blurs right into the cities, too, because the cities are built on top of those things. Am I making sense?”

Yuuri shook his head. He wasn’t sure _anyone_ could follow it.

“Shit,” Viktor said. “I’m sorry. I get like this when I drink out here. Drinking in the city is different. That’s party life, you know? Drinking out here is like connecting with something greater.”

“You’re drunk?” Yuuri blurted. “But you were driving!”

“I wasn’t driving. I was just rolling until we got to this place. We’re not far from the lot.”

“Then we’re stuck out here? Why didn’t you go back with one of the others?”

Viktor shrugged. “I was going to ride with the group your friend left with, but when I saw him leave without you, I knew I should stay at the beach.”

“Why? You could’ve gone with JJ and them, too, but you didn’t.”

Viktor chuckled. “Now I _know_ you haven’t been in town long. That wasn’t an option.”

“So you just let Phichit go in your place?”

Viktor nodded. “See… I know JJ’s group. I didn’t expect them to like you so much. You’re just some kid, after all.”

Yuuri winced.

“No, no! I’m not… I’m really not insulting you. It’s just the way it is. But they actually offered you a ride. I wasn’t happy. I thought: Shit, now I’ll be out here all night by myself.”

“Except I didn’t go with them.”

“Yeah.”

“How did you even notice any of this? I never saw you look away from the ocean.”

Viktor’s smirk spread, and for a moment he looked like he might’ve wanted to say something but decided against it in favor of something else. “I’m observant, remember?”

“We’re off track, though. Why did you bring me here?”

“I guess… basically, I don’t want you to think that nature and civilization are blurred here. They’re not. The separation is important. The city isn’t built right on the coastline, like your cities are built right on the plains. If we forget about it and let the two blur, none of what you started to feel before will matter to anyone ever again.”

“The salt thing?”

“Yeah, that. There’s something magic about the air out here. I’ve always thought that. There isn’t any magic in the city, other than electricity.”

“Does everyone here think that?”

“No. That’s why I wanted to tell you and show you before you got the wrong idea.”

“Huh. I see.” Yuuri paused. “This is a deep conversation. Maybe too deep for me. I’m not the sharpest guy in the world.”

“You’re sharper than you think. I think.”

“Am I? You’ve made a lot of statements about me tonight. Why are you so confident about them? You don’t know me.”

“I’m not confident. I’m—“

“—Observant.”

“For the record, this is weird for me, too. Something about you caught my attention. Mostly I ignore the little fish.”

“The little fish? I appreciate that, Mr. Older Fish. What caught your attention?”

“I’m not sure,” Viktor said. “You just seemed interesting, and I thought I might want to get to know you.”

“You’re not really getting to know me. You’re just telling me things I should be telling you.”

“Does that upset you?”

Yuuri mulled it over. “Not really. It’s kind of refreshing. I’ve had to introduce myself so many times now. It’s been exhausting.”

“I thought so.” Viktor turned his head up to stare at the sky. “Full moon tonight,” he said. “I’m glad your first time out here was a full moon.”

“Because it’s pretty?”

“Nope. I’m glad because the light let you see me… And that it let me see you.”

Something unnoticeable stirred in Yuuri’s chest as he watched Viktor watching the moon, but it made him realize he was glad for its light, too.

“Now then,” Viktor said, and looked back down to Yuuri. “How drunk are _you_ , little fish?”

“Tipsy, maybe? I don’t know. I’ve never gotten drunk before.”

“Are you dizzy? Drowsy?”

“Not really, but a lot of things haven’t been making any sense. I have to be honest, though: I think it’s probably because you haven’t been making any sense yourself.”

Viktor broke into deep laughter. “You’re probably right,” he said when he’d calmed down. “Here.” He suddenly tossed his keys at Yuuri.

Yuuri couldn’t catch them without warning, so they fell in the sand. He picked them up and peered at them. “You don’t want me to drive, do you?”

“You bet I do. It’s better than staying out here until I sober up, isn’t it?”

“I guess so.” Yuuri held the keys out to the moonlight. There was a keychain… Some kind of bear. He brushed the sand off of it. “You really want me to drive your car?”

“That’s the idea.”

“Well,” Yuuri said, “if we crash and die, it’s been nice knowing you.”

“Nicer than you know,” Viktor said.

They piled back into the car. After adjusting the rear-view mirror, Yuuri stuck the key in the ignition and brought the engine to life. “I’ll be careful.”

“I trust you,” Viktor said lazily. He tipped his head against the window and closed his eyes. “Take us… to your place.” A slight smile formed on his lips as he said it. Yuuri almost protested that he wouldn’t be able to explain things to his parents, but Viktor was already slipping into unconsciousness. He was a lot more drunk than he’d let on, apparently.

“Sleep tight,” Yuuri muttered. He flipped on the headlights—safety first, unlike Viktor—and backed away from the overlook.

When he reached the main road, he decided to stop just for a second to check on Viktor. The older boy looked peaceful in his sleep, with his silver hair falling over his eyes, and his chest rising and falling as steadily as the surf came and went. In that moment, as he watched over Viktor, Yuuri knew that Isabella’s warning had fallen on deaf ears.


	3. Natural Light

It was dangerously close to dawn when they got to Yuuri’s neighborhood. He didn’t want his parents asking questions about why he was driving some random guy’s car, so he parked several houses away from his home. He shut off the engine, yanked the parking brake, and sighed in genuine relief. He hadn’t wrecked the car after all.

He turned to his passenger, who was apparently still sleeping. His hair had fallen away a bit, though, giving Yuuri a better look at his face. He didn’t actually notice how long his eyes lingered on Viktor, but it was more than just a quick glance.

He finally reached out to poke his new acquaintance in the side. “Viktor? We’re here.”

“Mmf…” Viktor grumbled as he roused, keeping his eyes shut tight. “Five more minutes?”

“It’s almost dawn. We’ve gotta figure out what we’re doing with you.”

“What we’re doing with me?” Viktor asked. He opened his eyes and slowly slid them over to Yuuri. “We _are_ at your place, right?”

Yuuri nodded. “What’s the plan? Are you gonna camp out here until you’ve sobered up?”

“Here?” Viktor frowned. “No. Why would I sleep in my car?”

“Then where?”

“Your place,” he said matter-of-factly. “You have a couch, don’t you?”

“A couch? Yeah, but my parents…”

A trace of a smirk tugged at Viktor’s lips. “They don’t know you were out last night, do they?”

Yuuri stared down at his lap. “No.”

Viktor chuckled in response. “That’s alright, just take me to your room. I don’t mind the floor.”

Yuuri jerked his head up. “Are you joking?” From Viktor’s expression he didn’t seem to be, but he couldn’t possibly be serious.

“I’m not joking,” Viktor said. “I _am_ a little confused, though. Why does it matter if a friend crashes in your room?”

“A friend? Is that what you are?”

“Sure. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”

Yuuri pondered that for a moment. He’d only met Viktor a few hours prior, but it couldn’t hurt to have a friend, and Viktor seemed honest enough. Plus, they really did seem to have made a connection. “Alright, but I have to hide you from my mom and dad.”

“Why? Because I’m a stranger? Because I’m drunk? Because I’m a senior?” Viktor shrugged. “I’m all of the above, so I guess you’re right.”

 _A senior_. Yuuri had been thinking and hoping Viktor was a junior, or even a sophomore. He wasn’t sure _why_ he’d been hoping that, but he still had, and now there was just a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. “How old are you?” he asked carefully.

“Age is but a number, little fish,” Viktor said. “Just like names. Sometimes there’s no reason to know.”

“I take it you’re a _lot_ older, then.”

“Nope, I’m not a lot older. I just don’t think it matters.” He grasped Yuuri by his shoulder and squeezed, much like he had at the bonfire. “The sun’s almost up. Be a gentleman and show me inside.”

Yuuri’s worries cleared away at Viktor’s gesture. Perhaps irresponsibly, he smiled, pulled away from Viktor’s hand, and decided to take him home. He stepped out of the car, and soon Viktor was up on his feet as well.

Viktor circled around in place to take in his surroundings, stumbling a little as he did it. He let out a low whistle. “Rich boy, huh?”

Yuuri felt his cheeks flush. “Not _that_ rich,” he said. “It’s just a suburb.”

“And he’s so modest!”

It was dark, so Yuuri couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw Viktor wink at him when he said _modest_. It made him a little uncomfortable, so he angled toward his house, said, “Come on,” and started walking. He heard Viktor’s flip flops _flipping_ and _flopping_ as he rushed to catch up with him.

“Which one’s yours?” Viktor asked.

“Hush,” Yuuri hissed, stopping in front of a two-story sandstone with a wrap around porch. He triple-checked to make sure no lights were on inside, then nodded to Viktor and moved down the driveway. He took a single key out of his pocket—no car, no need for a key ring—and unlocked a door leading into the garage. They entered, and Yuuri shut and re-locked the door, leaving them in pitch darkness. He didn’t trust the situation enough to turn on an actual light, so he switched on his phone’s flashlight function. The light brightened the garage just enough to be able to make out two expensive-looking cars.

Yuuri led them through another door, and they entered the house proper. They passed the kitchen into the living room, taking care not to bump into anything. Thankfully, the stairs up to the second floor weren’t creaky, so they didn’t have to worry about the carpeted steps giving them away. The second floor more or less belonged to Yuuri, so once they reached the top of the stairway he let out a sigh. The sketchy part was over.

They reached the door to Yuuri’s bedroom. He felt for the doorknob, twisted it, and let Viktor inside. He flipped the ceiling lights on, and they both winced away from the harsh bulbs. They’d been in the dark since dusk.

Viktor looked around. “It’s messy,” he observed, and he was right. Yuuri wasn’t great at keeping his dirty clothes in the hamper. “Somehow I expected that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Yuuri groused.

“Honestly nothing. My room’s a mess, too.” He studied the walls, which were completely barren other than a fresh coat of light blue paint. “No posters?” he asked.

“They just repainted. Everything of mine is in the closet.”

Viktor snorted abruptly.

“What’s funny?”

“Forget about it, I’m just drunk. But my walls are covered in posters. This room is so bare it’s almost spooky.”

“Well, I won’t say they’ll be _covered_ in posters, but I do have a few to put up now.”

Viktor dropped down on the side of the bed. He smoothed his hand across the quilt and said, “This must be a king size. Why would a kid like you need a bed this big?”

“I didn’t pick it out,” Yuuri replied.

“It must get lonely,” Viktor said, still gliding his hand over the quilt. Apparently he liked the feel of it. “Isn’t it lonely? King beds are for couples.”

“It’s not _lonely_ , but it can feel a little empty sometimes.” Yuuri sat down next to Viktor. The distance between them was closer than he’d judged it to be, but he couldn’t exactly scoot away now. That’d be strange. “You must have a double, or something like that?”

“Queen bed, actually,” Viktor said. “And so far it’s always been plenty for two people, so I wonder why anyone would need one like this.”

“Two people?” Yuuri asked. “You don’t mean you’ve…”

Viktor flopped back to stare at the ceiling. “Had company over? Of course. I have needs like any guy. I take it you’ve never enjoyed any company yourself?”

“I’ve never even been on a date,” Yuuri admitted.

“Little fish, little fish, little fish. You have so much to learn. I’ve never been on a date, either.”

“Then how…?” Yuuri wondered, then suddenly realized what Viktor meant by that. His cheeks burned. “Oh. Sorry. I guess I’m still kind of innocent when it comes to that stuff.”

“No need to be sorry. You’re barely in high school.” Viktor popped back up and elbowed him. “You’ll catch up to me soon.”

Yuuri turned his head away. He needed to change the subject. “I don’t have extra sheets,” he said. “But you can have the quilt and a pillow.”

“And here I was hoping I could crash in your very empty bed. You know I’d keep to my side.”

Yuuri’s hadn’t even considered the possibility, but… “No,” he decided. “Sorry. I just don’t want the first person I share a bed with to be a guy.”

For some reason, that made Viktor snicker and shake his head. “You’re a funny fish,” he said. “Now… quilt, please?”

It wasn’t long before Viktor was curled up on the floor under the quilt he liked so much, with Yuuri on his back in bed. They’d turned off the lights, but the sun was rising now, and when Yuuri turned his head, he found he could make out Viktor’s sleeping form on the ground. Something about that made him smile to himself. After a few seconds he rolled away from the slumbering boy, shut his eyes, and drifted off.

Viktor was gone when he woke up.


	4. The New World Order

The rest of the weekend was indistinguishable from any other weekend Yuuri had experienced, with one exception: Isabella texted him on Sunday asking for his full name, his parents’ names, and his entire class schedule. She also sent along a list of a dozen or so phone numbers connected to names he didn’t recognize—except for JJ, Chris, Sara, and Georgi—but the text definitely implied he was _supposed_ to recognize them. So he replied with his info, and added the names and numbers to his contacts.

Aside from that slightly surreal exchange, Phichit did call him on Saturday afternoon to make sure he’d gotten home safe. Yuuri considered bitching him out, but he figured it had all worked out in the end, so he let it slide and stored it in his memory banks in case he ever needed some leverage—which he knew he never would. They didn’t speak long enough for Yuuri to ask him about the new friends he’d left the bonfire with. Phichit was running late for something, so they said goodbye pretty fast.

One thing nagged at him all weekend, despite the normalcy. How was he supposed to get in touch with Viktor? He hadn’t given him his number or his Facebook, or even his Twitter account—god forbid anyone from real life ever find that hot mess of memes and profanity—so it seemed the only way to talk to him would be to track him down in school. After all, Viktor wouldn’t be able to find _him_ unless he accidentally bumped into him in the halls. He didn’t even know Yuuri’s name.

Then Monday morning rolled in, and Phichit’s Jeep rolled into Yuuri’s driveway to pick him up for class.

“Hey,” Phichit said curtly after Yuuri hopped in. He looked a little scared.

Yuuri found that amusing. It would take a lot for him to pick a fight with Phichit—or vice versa—and he’d already made it clear he wasn’t mad on the phone. “Relax,” he said. “I’m not pissed.”

Phichit’s features relaxed all at once. “Okay. Okay. That’s good.”

Yuuri couldn’t put his finger on the why of it, but their drive to school was uncharacteristically quiet. They’d only been carpooling for about a week, but in that time they’d always been talkative. With six years of friendship behind them, they were usually on the same level. That drive, though? It seemed like they were on different planets. It wasn’t even awkward. Silence just made sense.

They said their _seeyas_ in the parking lot. Phichit had gym first unit, which took him off to the other side of the school while Yuuri’s schedule fed him through the main entrance.

He had math first. Geometry. It was predictably insufferable. He went to his locker after class to switch out textbooks, and while he was digging his Spanish book out, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Strange. No one ever texted him during school hours. He looked both ways to make sure no teachers were around, then pulled it out and peered at the screen.

_“Don’t go to ur next unit. Go to the office and tell them who u are. –Isa”_

Yuuri blinked in confusion. Isabella? He looked both ways again, expecting some kind of prank, but the crowd in the hallway was thinning out in advance of the second unit just like it always did. Nothing seemed off—at least nothing he could see from his locker. He texted back: _“You serious?”_

No response.

He set his books back in his locker and scratched his head. With his fingers buried in his messy excuse for a hairstyle, he made up his mind to go to the office after all. It wouldn’t be a big deal to miss one class, and if Isabella _was_ bullshitting him, he could always claim he was feeling sick and needed to rest for a few.

He shut his locker. The hallway was almost empty now. The bell rang on his way to the office, and he felt a brief wave of regret at his decision before getting himself together again.

The door to the actual office was almost always locked, but there was a sliding-glass window opening on the secretary’s desk. He stepped up to it and gave her a little wave. She unlatched the window and pulled it aside with a smile.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“Um… Yeah,” Yuuri said. “I, uh… I’m Yuuri Katsuki.”

The secretary cocked her head. “Alright, Yuuri. How can I help you?”

“I was… I was told to come to the…” He cursed himself for being so damned stupid. He should’ve known Isabella was playing a trick. She was in the _in group_ and he was just some freshman. He couldn’t believe he’d actually—

“Wait, what did you say your name was? Katsuki?” The secretary shuffled through some papers on her desk.

“Y-yeah. Yuuri Katsuki.”

“Aha!” she announced, triumphantly holding up a page. “This is for you.” She passed it through the window.

Yuuri took it and stared at it in confusion. He looked up to the secretary, then to the page, then back to the secretary. “What is this?”

“It’s your new schedule. You just tested out of freshman year, didn’t you?”

That set Yuuri’s mind spinning. His eyes nearly leapt from their sockets as he scanned the schedule. Algebra II instead of Geometry. Spanish II instead of Spanish I. Classical Literature instead of run-of-the-mill English. Strangely, he was in an art class now, and gym wasn’t even listed. He was more athletic than he was creative, so what the hell? His lunch period and homeroom had changed, too. Phichit wouldn’t be happy about that.

“You look funny,” the secretary said.

“I just, uh… I didn’t… Didn’t know what my classes were going to end up being.” He faked a smile to match the secretary’s. “Thank you!”

“My pleasure,” she said. “You should probably get to your new class.”

Yuuri nodded intently. “Right. Bye!”

He tore off away from the office window before she could realize she’d made a mistake and take the schedule back. But, looking down at the authenticity of the thing, Yuuri understood that she _hadn’t_ made a mistake. Somehow Isabella had made this happen. Or maybe JJ did… or any of the dozen new names in his contacts list.

“So this is the power of the in group,” he muttered as he walked back to his locker. When he reached it, he realized there was no point opening it. He didn’t have any of the right books now. He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and checked his schedule for the Spanish II room number: 208. Okay, that was easy enough. Second floor, room eight. He was on the first floor now, so all he had to do was go up a flight of stairs. No big deal.

Except it _was_ a big deal. His anxiety was skyrocketing at the idea of walking into a class already in session that he’d never even set foot in before. It would be disruptive as all get out, and everyone would stare at him. He couldn’t do that at all. He decided to wait out his classes in the library until lunch. None of this made any sense, but _lunch_ made sense. No one would stare at him at lunch.

His new lunch hour was 11:00, a full hour earlier than his original one. He left the library a few minutes early to grab his lunch from his locker, then hustled down to the cafeteria.

His thought about no one staring at him lasted all of thirty seconds.

“Hey, Yuuri!” a guy called.

Yuuri froze in his tracks. He _kind of_ recognized the voice, but…

“Hey, dumbass! Don’t ignore me!” the guy’s voice boomed. Peals of laughter spread through the room.

When Yuuri turned to the lunch tables, he saw with some horror that every eye was turned to him. JJ was standing at a table in the dead center of the room, grinning. He gestured Yuuri over. He couldn’t understand the invitation, or _anything_ about the situation, but Isabella was sitting by JJ’s side—smiling at him, too—and he recognized Sara and Chris there, with three others he didn’t know. All upperclassmen. This lunch hour was most assuredly not meant for a freshman… but then again, if the secretary was right, then he wasn’t a freshman anymore.

He managed to move his frozen legs, and before he realized it he was awkwardly accepting some kind of bro-ish handshake and high five combo from JJ that he didn’t really have the words to describe. He was never that kind of kid—the pretend masculinity thing had never appealed to him. As nervous as he was, though, it did feel kind of nice being greeted like that by who he now realized was the most popular guy in school. The Big Man On Campus, so to speak.

He was vaguely aware of Isabella kicking some burly guy off of the stool next to her and telling him to sit with her. Still in a haze, Yuuri found himself sitting down before he could consciously decide to do it.

“Welcome to the big kid’s table,” she said, grinning even wider now.

“Thanks?” Yuuri said. It came out as more of a question, though.

Isabella chuckled. “You’re still confused, aren’t you?”

Thankfully, the cafeteria had moved on to its usual business after JJ’s spectacle. Even the rest of the table wasn’t paying attention to him. The others were engaged in a conversation about some TV show he’d never heard of. Or maybe it was a movie? He shook his head out fast to bring his attention back to himself and Isabella.

“Yep,” she said. “Definitely confused. Want the elevator pitch?”

Yuuri didn’t know what an elevator pitch was, but he nodded anyway.

“Okay, so… I have some connections, and… Long story short? We’re classmates. I bumped you up a whole year. I knew you wouldn’t mind. Who would mind only dealing with three years of high school instead of four? Not me.” She paused. “I missed you in Lit, by the way. I was worried you didn’t get my text.”

“N-no, I got it,” Yuuri stammered. “My whole schedule’s—“

“We’re synced up now,” Isabella said. “I put you in all my classes, except I’m taking Italian and you’re in Spanish. You’re still confused?”

“A little. I’m just wondering… How? Why?”

“Hmm,” Isabella said, losing herself in thought for a moment. “Well, you don’t need to know the _how_. The _why_ is I like you. No, _we_ like you.”

Yuuri narrowed his eyes. “We?”

“Yep. You were well received at the bonfire. The general consensus was you were pretty hecking cool for a freshman. So I un-freshman’d you.” She let out a little giggle. “That’s not even a word.”

“I…” Yuuri suddenly felt like his new schedule was burning a hole through his jeans pocket. To be honest, though? “I don’t mind.” He smiled for real this time. “I didn’t think I’d make friends so fast.”

Isabella slapped his knee hard. “Friends, right? Alright! Ladies and gents!” she cried, addressing the table. Everyone stopped their conversations to focus on her. “Yuuri here? He’s one of us. If you fuck with him I’ll kick your ass.”

The kids at the table mostly shrugged, except for Chris and JJ, who seemed happier about things.

“Stick with us and you’ll learn some things,” Chris said with a sensual wink.

“Dammit, Chris, don’t go corrupting this pure little boy,” JJ countered. “Nah, I’m kidding. Give him the world if he wants it.”

“Why’re you so psyched about him, J?” Chris returned, voicing what most of the kids at the table were probably thinking.

“Because I told him to be,” Isabella said.

The other kids murmured approvingly.

“So,” Yuuri said under his breath, “I take it you’re the real power here.”

Isabella rolled her eyes. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I’m influential, sure, but I’m not the star quarterback or anything.”

“That’s JJ?”

“Of course.”

Yuuri swallowed hard. “How am I supposed to fit in here?”

Isabella looked at the others to make sure they weren’t paying attention, then said in a lowered voice, “You fake it. That’s how I got here.”

“You just… Faked your way into being the queen bee?”

She threw her head back in high-pitched laughter. “Queen bee? Well, hot damn, I guess I am the queen bee. But don’t go thinking you can steal my spot. At best you’re one of my worker bees.” There was a beat between them, and she glanced down at the brown paper bag Yuuri was clutching for dear life. “Oh… Sweetie,” she said in a tone that from anyone else would’ve seemed condescending.

“What’s wrong?”

“You can’t bring a paper lunch if you’re gonna be popular. People will talk.”

Yuuri’s mind swam. He couldn’t imagine a world in which anyone cared about bag lunches versus tray lunches, but… a few days ago he couldn’t have imagined sitting at that table in the first place. “Okay,” he said.

“Don’t worry about it, alright? There’s plenty you’ll have to learn if you wanna get in our orbit. And you do want that, right?”

“Sure.” For a moment he wondered what Phichit would think of all this, but that moment passed quickly. “I mean… Why shouldn’t I?”

“Hecking exactly. Oooh, this is exciting. I’ve never had a project before.”

“I’m a project?” Yuuri asked, gripping his lunchbag tighter.

“Oh!” Isabella’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh shit. No, no. I didn’t mean it like that. You know I didn’t mean it like that, right?”

Yuuri was shocked to find himself smiling. “I know,” he said. Then, finding a little confidence, he asked, “Can I eat my paper lunch this one time, queen bee?”

She went back to her laughter. “Of course. I don’t know why I like you so much, but I really do. I think I’ve made a good choice here. I burned some bridges pulling you up like I did.”

“I hope it wasn’t too much trouble,” Yuuri said absently, unrolling his paper bag and pulling out a sandwich.

“Not _too_ much trouble, no, but it’s the first and only time I could do it. I feel good about it, though. I think I made the right decision.”

“I’m in all your classes, right?” Yuuri asked.

“Heck yeah.”

“Then let’s eat. I’ll see you in, uh…” He pulled the folded-up schedule from his pocket and read: “ _Art on Canvas_? It sounds like a museum exhibit.”

She waved him off. “Nothing like that, it’s just painting, pretentious name aside. It’s my favorite class, so of course I had to get you in with me. Art classes are perfect for gossiping.”

“Gossiping?” Yuuri had never been much of a gossip, but he had to admit he’d always been interested in the goings-on of the elite—so to speak—so the idea wasn’t as unappealing to him as it might be to, say, Phichit. “So we’ll gossip.”

Isabella was positively exhilarated. “I can’t believe I’ll have a friend in all my classes. This is too perfect!”

“Iz?” JJ intoned from her other side. “If you get any gooier you’re gonna be cookie dough.”

She turned to him and brusquely grabbed his chin. “What if I like cookie dough?” she asked.

JJ’s lips twitched up. “Then I guess I like cookie dough, too.”

Isabella pulled him in for a kiss. It was long and hard, unlike any Yuuri had ever seen from kids his age, but then again, JJ and Isabella _were_ a bit older. Still, he never expected to see anything like that in a high school. Teachers were supposed to stop public displays of affection, but… none were. It must be a perk of popularity.

When they finally detached, Isabella returned her attention to Yuuri and said, “Eat your final sandwich. Tomorrow’s a new day.”

“A new day,” Yuuri said, testing out the words. “I think I can get behind that.”

“You’d better after all I went through to get you here.” She winked again, and before long she became enmeshed with the others in the _in group_ , talking about who knew what.

For the first day, Yuuri just kept to his sandwich.


	5. Song of Our So-Called Friend

Even though he’d skipped all his new classes, Yuuri’s inaugural day as a sophomore had been exhausting. He’d thought about going to Art on Canvas—anything with a name like that had to be interesting, even if he sucked at the _art_ part—but the idea of getting roped into Isabella’s orbit even faster than was already happening made his head spin, so he kept himself hidden away in the library.

His last class of the day intimidated him more than any he’d ever taken. The listing on his schedule bore two dreaded letters: _AP._ AP Biology, to be exact. He thought AP classes were only for seniors, and maybe they really were. It was hard to tell the extent of Isabella’s influence, but he assumed she was taking it too, and she wasn’t a senior either, so at least it wasn’t unprecedented.

His first instinct was to skip it again, of course, but the rational part of his brain told him it would be a bad idea to miss material in an AP class. He’d already missed a full week, so attending was his only option.

He got there early expecting to have to explain himself, but the teacher—a portly woman with horned glasses—had already been informed of his situation. She introduced herself, but he was so nervous her name went in one ear and out the other. He’d figure it out later. She assigned him a seat, and he went and settled into it.

Class wouldn’t start for almost ten more minutes, so there were only a couple students in the room. They were definitely seniors. Yuuri didn’t recognize them from the bonfire, but then again it was a big school, and he hadn’t gotten a good look at most of the partiers to begin with. After a moment he stopped looking around at all and kept his head down with his eyes on his notebook. It was probably best to keep himself scarce. He didn’t want to be some kind of sideshow for older kids to gawk at.

More students trickled in, and he did finally look up just before the bell rang. The room was full, except for the seat next to him and one up front. That suited him fine, since the setup was two seats to a desk. He’d have the whole thing to himself.

The teacher went up to the whiteboard and started to write something, but she didn’t get far enough for it to be legible before the door swung open and Isabella rushed in. Yuuri had honestly forgotten she was supposed to be there too. He’d been too anxious to consider it, but she flashed him a little smile before grabbing the empty first-row chair. Damn. When she’d come in he’d hoped she was his assigned desk mate.

“You’re late, Miss Yang,” the teacher said. She didn’t sound like she cared particularly much, though.

“Sorry,” Isabella said. “Won’t happen again.”

The teacher nodded and turned back to the whiteboard. This time her marker didn’t even make contact before the door opened again, more slowly this time. All Yuuri could make out in the doorway was an arm and a foot, but… It seemed like a guy.

“Again?” the teacher asked the kid, her face turning sour. “This is already your third tardy.” She shook her head in disgust. “Come in. I won’t send you to the office this time.”

“Thank you,” the boy said.

_That voice… so familiar, but…_

Yuuri’s eyes widened. Viktor strolled through the door and between the desks, then casually sat right next to him without so much as a hello or a nod.

“Viktor?” Yuuri asked in a low voice.

“Yes, that is my name,” he said. “We have to be quiet. It’s time for class.”

There was no warmth in his voice, but it didn’t have a chill to it, either. It was just flat; like he was talking to a stranger. He didn’t smile at Yuuri, or acknowledge him in any way other than his initial admonishment. It made Yuuri feel strangely rejected. That was silly considering Viktor had only been in the room for maybe forty-five seconds _and_ it was during class time, so of course he wouldn’t have been chatty, but Yuuri’s spirits had risen ten-fold when he saw him walk in, and part of him had been expecting a sort of happy reunion. Although… this _was_ the last class of the day, so they’d have plenty of time to talk after the final bell. He hoped that’s what Viktor was thinking.

The teacher—Mrs. Thorpe, it turned out—instructed Viktor to share his textbook with Yuuri, since hadn’t been assigned one yet. Again his spirits rose, expecting some kind of friendly comment or gesture, but Viktor only slid his open book between them with no fanfare, his face totally placid. Yuuri’s emotions were tipping from _rejected_ to _hurt_ , though he didn’t know why that should be the case. They barely knew each other.

He’d barely processed any of the class material by the time the bell rang. He was too nervous and upset to focus on oncogenes, and now he half expected Viktor to slam his book shut and leave without a word.

He _did_ close the book, but he didn’t stand up to leave, or to do anything else for that matter. As more and more kids filed out of the room, Viktor just slid down into his chair and sighed. After his complete lack of activity, the sigh almost made Yuuri jump out of his skin. Still, he didn’t acknowledge Yuuri’s presence.

And then Yuuri actually _did_ jump out of his skin. “Hey!” Isabella shouted.

He jerked his head to the sound of her voice. It looked like she’d been trying to get his attention for some time, but he’d been too focused on Viktor’s _lack_ of attention to notice. “Oh,” Yuuri said, blinking in near confusion. “Hi, Isabella.”

“You’ve been avoiding me, huh?” she asked, but she was smiling. She put her left hand on her hip and brushed her hair aside with her right. “It’s fine. I’m used to men being intimidated by me. But hey, I’m glad to see you.”

“Yeah,” Yuuri said. “I’m glad to see you, too. I forgot we had this class together.” His friendly words came out through a fog, though, and Isabella noticed something was off.

“You okay?” she asked, and after a beat her smile dropped away and she shifted her eyes over to Viktor, then slowly back to Yuuri. “Listen… No offense, Viktor, but I think my friend is catching your bad aura.”

Viktor chuckled, catching Yuuri by surprise again. “Bad aura? I didn’t know you thought that about me.”

“I didn’t mean it like _that_ ,” Isabella said. “I just meant—“

“No, it’s fine, I know what you meant,” Viktor said. “I’m not corrupting him. I haven’t even talked to him. He’s acting strange for some other reason.”

Isabella frowned. “If you say so. But listen, he’s with me now, alright? If you’re gonna be sitting next to him all semester, you’d do well to remember that.”

Yuuri wanted to say: _Hey, I don’t belong to anyone!_ but the words didn’t come out. He was too disoriented by everything.

“No one here owns anyone else, Isabella,” Viktor said.

Yuuri almost smiled at that.

“That’s not what I meant either! I just meant… Ugh!” She flipped her hair again. “You are _so_ frustrating! Why can’t you just be like you used to be?”

“Because I don’t want to be? People change. Like you said… you’d do well to remember that.”

Isabella’s eyes darted between Yuuri and Viktor before settling on Yuuri. “Come on. I don’t want to fight with him, and if we stay here I’ll—“

“Don’t give him orders,” Viktor said. It should’ve sounded confrontational, but coming from his lips it was almost smooth.

Yuuri shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I’m going with Isabella. I don’t want to cause trouble.”

“I’m actually disappointed,” Viktor said, but his voice was still calm and passive. No hint of actual disappointment. “But okay. You win this round, Isabella.”

“I’ll win every round,” she shot back.

Yuuri stood up and took a few steps toward her before telling Viktor, “Thanks for letting me use your book.”

“My pleasure, little fish.”

A fleeting burst of warmth spread through Yuuri’s chest, and his breath caught in his throat for just a moment before he felt Isabella’s hand grab his and pull hard. He let her lead him away, but he kept looking back at Viktor so much his gait wasn’t much more than a stumble.

“What the hell was that?” Isabella asked once they were out of the room.

“I’m sorry,” Yuuri said quickly. “I didn’t mean to—“

“Huh? No, _you_ didn’t do anything. I mean what the hell was _he_ doing?”

“He didn’t really do anything,” Yuuri said.

“That boy…” She shook her head. “I’m sorry you have to sit next to him. Be careful around him, okay?”

“Um… sure.”

The irritation vanished from her face at that, quickly replaced by the bubbly cheer Yuuri was used to seeing on her. “Forget him. Let’s catch up with JJ and them.”

“Can’t, unfortunately,” Yuuri said. He looked back to the classroom door. Viktor still hadn’t come out. “I carpool with Phichit, and he has work, so… I can’t keep him waiting too long.”

“Phichit? Your friend from the bonfire, right? That’s cool, then. You guys are tight?”

“Yeah. We both moved out here at the same time.”

“How did that happen?”

“Our moms are lawyers at the same firm. They opened an office here.”

“Ahh. Must be nice to have moved with a friend.” She bit her lip, then said, “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yeah. Algebra II, right?”

“Bright and early,” she chimed. “Seeya, Yuuri.”

She bounced away down the hall and around a corner, leaving Yuuri standing outside the science room alone. After she was gone, he realized Viktor _still_ hadn’t left. Isabella kept warning him, but the Viktor Yuuri met a couple nights ago wasn’t the Viktor she seemed to know. Then again, the Viktor from AP Biology wasn’t the Viktor Yuuri thought he knew, either. Still… just to be sure.

Yuuri opened the door and peeked inside.

Viktor was standing just inside the doorway, smiling. “Hey, little fish. I was waiting for you to come back.”

Yuuri gawked. _This_ was the Viktor he knew the night of the bonfire. He quickly composed himself, not wanting to seem like the nervous wreck he really was. He didn’t waste time with a greeting. “Why were you acting like that in class?” he asked.

“Acting like what?”

“Like you didn’t care.”

“Appearances can be important.”

“You didn’t seem worried about what Isabella thought of you,” Yuuri noted.

“I don’t mean my own appearances, I meant yours. Normal people might get ideas if they see you with me.”

“Normal people? And what’s that supposed to mean? You can’t just—“

“Calm down,” Viktor said, cutting him off. “I’m just saying if you want to fall in with the popular kids you’ll have to steer clear of me. At least…”

“At least?” Yuuri pressed.

“At least in public.” Viktor picked his books up from a nearby desk. “Sadly I can’t stand around talking right now. My friends will miss me.”

“Friends. Yeah. Phichit is waiting for me too.”

“Better swim along,” Viktor said. “See you tomorrow.” And just like that, he brushed past the younger boy and out of the room.

Yuuri stood rooted in surprise for a few seconds before rushing out after him. When he got to the main hallway, though, Viktor was nowhere to be found.

His heart was absolutely pounding.


	6. Sumthin' Wicked This Way Comes

Phichit was not pleased, and that was obvious from the second Yuuri stepped onto the parking lot blacktop. He wasn’t used to seeing such a negative look on his friend’s face, but it didn’t take much calculation—or Algebra II—to tell he was plenty pissed. And why shouldn’t he be? Yuuri _was_ thirty minutes late, no thanks to Isabella and Viktor.

Isabella and Viktor… one of those names carried more weight than the other, but right now neither mattered. Presently he had to deal with the irritated childhood friend in front of him.

“Where have you been?” Phichit asked, leaning against his Jeep, his whole body tensed. It was almost like he was ready for a fight.

“Around,” Yuuri said, stepping closer.

“Around?” Phichit replied. His body relaxed a little, but he was definitely still irate. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out, even though Yuuri was leagues away from being a rocket scientist.

“I’m sorry,” Yuuri said. “I know I was supposed to—“

“Yeah,” Phichit cut in. “You were supposed to be here a long time ago. Normally I wouldn’t care, but…”

“But?” Yuuri recovered from staring at the asphalt in embarrassment to focus on Phichit himself. He still looked just as displeased as his voice sounded. It made himi uneasy. Phichit had almost never been seriously mad at him before this.

“Listen,” Phichit said. “I understand you’ve _probably_ found a new clique, and I can’t blame you for that, kinda. We just got here, so maybe it’s natural, but you can’t forget about me for them.”

Yuuri jerked up. “Forget about you?” he said. “Shit! No, no, of course not! Why would you even say that? You left the party without me too, so aren’t we the same?”

Phichit leaned back against his Jeep. “I did,” he said. “That was stupid. I got a bit… no, I got a _lot_ drunk. It seemed like a good idea then. I couldn’t have driven myself, right?”

“Right,” Yuuri said. “But what about me?”

“Um,” Phichit replied. “Honestly… I hate to say this, but I kinda forgot about you.”

That was a slap in the face, of course, but Yuuri managed to keep his composure. After all, he’d done a lot of forgetting about Phichit himself. So he just pressed, “You forgot?”

“I, uh… we were the same, weren’t we? You were with those other kids.”

Yuuri shook his head. “No, dude. I was, but still I noticed who you were with, and you didn’t even tell me when you left with them. How could you forget?”

“Crap,” Phichit halfway-cursed. “I guess I just got carried away. We should’ve talked about this on the way to school, but I mean, it was our first high school party. I just fell in with a group. I figured you did, too. You were with those popular kids, right? And—“

“And nothing,” Yuuri snapped, then let out a little exasperated sigh. “No, you know what? You did screw me over, there’s nothing to be mad about. I’m sure you had your reasons.”

“Yeah. Those guys I was with were pretty cool,” Phichit said.

“Cooler than me?”

“Of course not, I don’t—“

“I know that,” Yuuri said. “And in the scheme of things it shouldn’t matter, but I didn’t have… I was kind of a fish out of water because of you.”

“Oh,” Phichit said.

“Oh?”

“You must be saying you had no one to drive you back.”

Yuuri made the unusually conscious decision to roll his eyes hard. Phichit seemed to notice it as planned. “Clearly I know that,” Yuuri said. “You’re lucky I got a ride.”

“I’d say sorry, but…”

“But what?”

“You were hanging out with those mega-popular kids. Weren’t you? They’d be able to drive you back, right? I was just making friends with nobodies. We ended up with opposites, that’s all.”

“So why didn’t you drive yourself back with them in the passenger seats?”

“Heh,” Phichit chuckled. “I was drunk as hell.”

Yuuri frowned. “Listen, I might’ve been with the popular kids, but I still paid attention to your intake, and you barely drank.”

“I’m a lightweight,” Phichit admitted. “So I needed a ride. And my new friends—“

“ _New friends_?” Yuuri cut in.

“Please. Don’t tell me you didn’t make new friends, too. I saw you.”

Yuuri turned his head away to watch the traffic on the street.

“That’s what I thought,” Phichit said. “We just ended up in different groups. That’s all. But we’re still no-matter-what pals… right?”

Yuuri turned back to Phichit. “Clearly,” he said. “Why would you ask that?”

Phichit shrugged. “It just seemed like a thing. I made pretty great friends with Otabek and Yurio—“

“ _Yurio_?” Yuuri cried a little too loud. “You met some other kid with my name?”

“That bothers you? Names are just names.”

“Uh…” Yuuri dragged off a bit. “I guess not. But I want to meet those two before I accept them as your friends.”

“You’re my gatekeeper now?” Phichit countered. “Please. I know you made friends at the bonfire, too, and I’m not gatekeeping about them.”

Yuuri reluctantly nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “That’s true.”

“Those popular kids, right?”

“Popular? Yeah, I guess so. I can’t say otherwise, but those kind of kids…”

 “What, you know their ins and outs?”

“Sort of,” Phichit replied. “Listen, the new friends I made? They’re pretty cool. I think you’d like them. I think they’re a better fit for us than whoever you met.”

“They have names, okay?” Yuuri snapped. “Isabella. JJ. Chris. Sara. Georgi. I met Emil and Mickey at lunch today. They have names just like us.”

“Names, names, names,” Phichit muttered. He was starting to sweat a little in the August sunlight. It was so much hotter on the island in the day than the night. “If we’re talking names, I left with an Otabek.”

“So what?” Yuuri asked.

“So nothing about the Otabek, but the other was also a Yuri. I said that before.”

“You did, but… Yuuri like me?”

“No! Fuck! I told you. His parents are Russians, so it’s Yuri with one ‘u’, or so he told me.”

“Then you’re friend-cheating on me with another Yuuri.”

“No, I’m friend-cheating on you with a Yuri-one-u. There’s a difference. He goes by Yurio, anyway.”

“Yuriio,” Yuuri tried out. “If you say so. I guess we’ve both made friends with other people. It’s not a huge problem, is it? We’re still tight as can be, right?”

Phichit nodded solemnly. “Of course.”

“I guess that’s okay, then,” Yuuri said.

But no matter what Yuuri intimated in the moment, the truth was he didn’t actually feel that way. It was a shocking and bizarre thought to him, but he and Phichit had been friends since they were in diapers, and now they’d made separate connections. That wasn’t anything Yuuri had seen seen coming at all, even when he’d followed Isabella to JJ’s group at the bonfire. Hell, he couldn’t have anticipated going to something like the bonfire in the first place, much less falling in with the _in_ group. Even after lunch period he wasn’t sure if he actually belonged or if he was something like a fifteen-year-old toy for them.

“You alive?” Phichit asked, snapping his fingers.

Yuuri jerked to attention. “Uh. Kind of. I’m just confused.”

“Confused how?”

“I mean…” Yuuri stared at the concrete again. He wasn’t good with confrontation. “We’ve always had the same friends.”

“We still can,” Phichit noted. “I’m sure you’d love Otabek and Yurio.”

Yuuri bit his lip in irritation, then returned to reality. “And if I don’t love them?”

“Well…”

“Well?”

“Yuuri, it’s not like I can love your new friends. You have a better chance of loving mine.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m just some Thai kid,” Phichit said. “The popular crowd won’t have me.”

“Not because you’re Thai.”

“Then why?”

“Because…” Yuuri shook his head. “Because you didn’t try hard to make your way into the clique, or whatever it is.”

“The clique?” Phichit frowned. “Look,” he said, patting the side of his Jeep. “I don’t want to argue, and this seems like it’s gonna end in an argument. We’re already sort of arguing and that’s more than enough for me. So let’s just get in the car and I’ll take you home, okay?”

“It’s not an argument,” Yuuri said quietly.

“What’s that?”

“Nothing,” Yuuri said. “Drive away.”

Phichit smiled, and in that second the smile was all that mattered between them.

For a second, at least.

Maybe two seconds, but…

The moment was suddenly over when Yuuri’s phone buzzed.

He checked it. The number wasn’t in his contacts.

“What’s wrong?” Phichit asked.

“Nothing,” Yuuri said. “Start the car.”

Phichit shrugged and swung into the driver’s seat.

Yuuri looked back to his phone…

_???: Hey little fish. I found your number through some mischief. Any plans tonight? If you have some cancel them text me back fast or I’ll miss it_

Yuuri, of course, knew who it was. He had plenty of worries from the last few days, but for some reason he didn’t waste a single half-second replying.

_Y: is this victor?_

_V: Viktor actually but close enough. We’ll be at the mall at first in front by the fountain. Meet us or miss us it’s up to you swimmer. Try 9pm but after that who knows where we’ll be. Come ready for an adventure_

_Y: not sure I’m ready for that_

_V: Oh I think you are. I’ll see you later –V_

“What’s wrong? Phichit asked, turning to Yuuri from the driver’s seat.

“Um. Nothing,” Yuuri said, breaking his focus from his phone. “It’s fine.”

“If you say so,” Phichit said, and put the car into gear.

As calm as he seemed on the outside, Yuuri was actually screaming in his head. He’d gotten into Isabella’s clique, sure, and she’d warned him against Viktor. And Viktor and Isabella had both been so _strange_ in AP Bio. He couldn’t help but be fascinated by the older boy. There was something about him he couldn’t put his finger on. He sent another text:

_Y: I’ll be there_

No reply.

He’d just have to meet him at the mall tonight, he guessed. And as much as he felt like he shouldn’t, his urge to see Viktor outside of school was so strong that he repeated his message in all caps:

_Y: I’LL BE THERE!!!_

Still no reply. But somehow he knew Viktor wasn’t leading him on, and he’d be able to see him at the mall that night if he chose to. It made Yuuri a little scared. None of his new friends would agree with the idea. Isabella had expressly warned him against this kind of thins. But... he couldn’t deny his own wants. His teenage brain told him he need to know Viktor, and if he the text was to be believed, they could meet again in a matter of hours. On a school night, no less.

The thought was equally terrifying and exhilarating, but Yuuri knew he had to snatch up the chance. He looked over to Phichit. He was clueless.

Maybe that was for the best.


	7. Lost Kitten

In an unusual turn of events, Phichit had dropped Yuuri off at his house without asking to come inside. He knew damned well Yuuri’d just gotten the new Gears of War, so he must’ve been angrier than Yuuri had realized. In spite, Yuuri wondered if he intended to go meet with his new friends Otabek and _Yurio_. He couldn’t explain why his name bothered him so much, but he wondered how Phichit might feel if JJ’s name was Phichit instead of… well, he wasn’t quite sure what it stood for, but it definitely wasn’t _Phichit_.

None of it mattered, because he’d barely been home at all. He’d said hey to his mom—who was surprisingly home for once instead of working—and gone up to his room. Viktor had said to meet him at the mall, but he didn’t have a clue where the mall actually was. He’d hit up Google, but it turned out there were two major malls in town.

So he gritted his teeth and took the risk of texting Isabella about it.

_Y: hey Isa,_

He used the little shorthand she’d signed off as on her text earlier that day. And fuck if that didn’t seem like a hundred days ago, but…

_Y: hey Isa, do you want to go to the mall this weekend?_

Probably safe. Probably.

It took maybe thirty seconds to get a reply.

_I: Obvi. Which mall? U know there are 2 right?_

_Y: 2?_

_I: Baby boy I’ll teach u. Highmark is flooded with jr high kids. Not our crowd. Maybe urs, lil kid?_

_Y: not funny_

_I: Guess not. Sunview is the one for us. Wanna hit it up? Proud of u for taking initiative_

_Y: I’m dumb but where’s Sunview?_

_I: U really are new in town it’s next to the hospital. Know where that is?_

_Y: actually yeah. my mom’s firm is right next to it_

_I: Perf. Fri night or sat afternoon?_

Yuuri groaned. It’d just been a ploy to figure out where the mall was, but… would it be the worst thing to hang out with his new friend? Probably not.

_Y: 1PM Saturday?_

_I: Deal. Can I bring friends?_

_Y: I guess_

_I: Not too many. Maybe just Georgi he’s so depressed since his breakup. Well I know u don’t understand being a kid but it can mess a dude up. Let’s show him some fun might even hit up hot topic and laugh at the my little pony crap in the front. Deal?_

_Y: deal_

_I: Perf. I’ll see u in class tomorrow lil kid_

_Y: yeah. this time I’ll actually go to them_

_I: Ahhhh, u fuckin truant. I’ll see ya then_

_Y: right. bye._

That was the end of the conversation, but he’d figured out where to go now. At least it _seemed_ like it.

Luckily, Sunview Mall was the one with a fountain in front. And it had more than a fountain: It had three teenagers lounging against it, and one of them was none other than Viktor Nikiforov. Yuuri breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him.

“Fishie!” Viktor called. “Hey, fish!”

Yuuri made his way to the fountain. Viktor was perched at the very top of it, above where the water spurted out. Yuuri wasn’t quite sure how he’d gotten up there without getting soaked.

“I knew you’d come,” Viktor said.

“Did you?” Yuuri asked tentatively. He briefly looked at the other two kids. They were pierced all over, but they looked really familiar. He thought he might’ve seen them at lunch, only _sans_ piercings.

“One thing though,” Viktor said.

“Yeah?” Yuuri asked.

“How’d you make it here?”

Yuuri grimaced. Viktor didn’t have to rub it in that he didn’t have a car. “Bike,” he said.

“Ahhh, a bicyclist fish. We should call a marine biologist since that’s a big feat, don’t you think?”

Yuuri stared at his feet, cheeks burning. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“Sorry?” Viktor echoed. “Why sorry? It’s impressive. These geniuses to my left and right just had to hitch a ride with me. That’s easy. You, on the other hand, put real effort into it. That’s impressive.”

Yuuri shook his head. “I shouldn’t have come.”

“You wound me!” Viktor cried. Yuuri wasn’t used to him being so loud.

“Didn’t you say we shouldn’t be seen in public?” Yuuri asked, lifting his head again. He wondered why the other two weren’t speaking, but their lips were zipped tight and they almost didn’t seem to be paying attention.

“Oh dear, little fish,” Viktor said. “Our classmates know not to come here this late. It’s too dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

“Mhmm,” Viktor agreed. “But no one will bother us here. Isn’t that right, you two?”

The other kids grunted agreement.

“What are their names?”

“Does it matter?”

Yuuri blinked at him. “I guess not, but shouldn’t I know?”

Viktor winked theatrically. “Have you forgotten? Names aren’t important, and neither are ages.”

“Yeah,” the girl next to them said. “Names aren’t a big deal.”

“She’s right,” the other boy said. “And Viktor’s right. We don’t need names.”

Yuuri felt lost at sea. “What are their grades, then?”

“We’re juniors,” the girl said. Yuuri noticed she had piercings on either sides of her lower lip. He knew they were called _snakebites_ , but he’d never actually seen a pair. He had to admit they suited her.

“Fish?” Viktor said. “Don’t stare. It’s awkward.”

Yuuri gasped and looked away, but the girl just chuckled.

“I don’t mind,” she said. “He’s cute. I might make him my toy.”

“Now, now,” Viktor said from atop the fountain. “No one’s making him their toy. He might be young, but I can tell he’s a strong swimmer. I think he’s more independent than he realizes. Isn’t that right, little fish?”

“Um,” Yuuri said. “Maybe if I knew what was going on…”

“What do you mean?” Viktor asked.

“Why am I here?”

“Oh!” Viktor exclaimed. He hopped off of the fountain and splashed down in the pool around his, his legs immersed to just below his shorts. He hopped out of that, too—with surprising agility considering he was wearing flip flops—and took a few steps until he was almost too close for comfort to Yuuri. His expression changed: It’d been powerful and confident on the fountain, but now that he was below it Yuuri might almost call it soft. It could’ve been a trick of the light. “I told you. You’re here because we’re going on an adventure.”

Yuuri took a step back, and Viktor took a step forward in turn. He had a strong presence, to say the least. “Viktor… Can’t you introduce me to the others?”

“I did. You’re the little fish. I told them that before you got here.”

Yuuri blushed. “Don’t you know my name by now?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Viktor said. “But don’t bother telling me right now. You’re just a little fish.”

Something about the way he said little fish jolted Yuuri more awake than he’d ever be at this time of night. “Little fish,” Yuuri said. “Right.”

“He’s so confused, V. Let’s actually do names. I’m Katie,” the girl said. She even did a little curtsy.

“Drew,” the boy said simply.

“Viktor, Katie, Drew,” Yuuri said. “And me… the fish.”

“Exactly,” Viktor said. He took a step closer. “Are you ready for the next step?”

“Next step?”

Viktor shook his head, but he was smiling. “The adventure.”

“What adventure?”

“Well,” Viktor said. “I told you you shouldn’t be seen with me in public. So it’s a _private_ adventure.”

“Shouldn’t you just tell him?” Katie asked.

“I’ll get to it,” Viktor replied testily. “Calm down.”

Katie took a few steps back. “Right. Sorry, V.”

Viktor didn’t acknowledge her apology. “There’s no room in my car for your bike, but there’s enough in the passenger seat while these jokers get crammed in the back. Sound good?”

“I, uh…” Yuuri wracked his brain for reasons he shouldn’t do this, and they were myriad. It was a school night. He barely knew Viktor. He sure as hell didn’t know Katie and Drew. Isabella—who he _did_ know—had warned him against Viktor with intense sincerity. Then again, he’d shared quite a night with Viktor talking about salt in the air and the difference between civilization and nature. He couldn’t lie, that took precedence, even though the Viktors he’d met since then had been totally different. _Viktors_ plural, because the AP Bio Viktor, the post-Bio Viktor, and now this mall Viktor seemed like totally different people. But if there was a chance of that beach Viktor reappearing… “Yeah. I guess it’s okay. As long as we’re not out too late.”

Viktor bent over in deep laughter. Yuuri didn’t think what he’d said was that funny, but Viktor was losing it. When he composed himself, he said, “Listen, if you’re going to swim with me, you need to forget your regular schedule. Sound okay?”

Yuuri blinked. He’d always been an early-to-bed type, but at the same time he’d never needed much sleep. He often ended up waking up around 3AM on school days. “Sounds okay,” he said.

“Good.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but notice how soaked Viktor’s legs were from the fountain. “Aren’t you cold?” he asked.

Viktor doubled over again. It seemed he was prone to laughter. “A fish concerned about water. You keep surprising me.”

“I’ve surprised you before?” Yuuri asked.

“More times than I can count,” Viktor said. “If you didn’t surprise me you wouldn’t be here. These two…” He jerked his thumb back at Katie and Drew in succession. “They’re just kind of here. They’re friends, but not my usual friends. Then again…” He paused. “Well, who counts as a usual friend? Almost everyone for me, really, save your new clique. That’s the funniest part of all.”

“That I’m with Isabella?”

“And JJ. I mean, damn, I can barely believe it. But you know what?”

“What?”

“You should stay with them. You and me? We’re after hours. Same with these two. They’re art freaks normally, but after hours? They’re with me sometimes. Before hours I have different friends, too. Understand what I’m saying?”

Yuuri shook his head. “I think I saw them at lunch today. So much has happened today. I can’t keep track.”

“Let me help,” Viktor said, and before Yuuri could realize what was going on the older boy had taken his hand. “Palm up,” he said.

Yuuri flipped his hand to oblige.

Viktor dug in his pocket for a pen. He clicked out the ballpoint tip with his hand—his left, since his right was holding Yuuri’s—and brought it down against Yuuri’s palm. He scribbled something, then released his hand and put the pen away.

Yuuri peered at his palm. “What’s this say?”

“You can’t read it?” Viktor asked. “Okay, try your best. What do you think it says?”

“It looks like… No, I can read it. It says _‘just another day’._ ”

“Yeah,” Viktor said. “Today’s just another day. Don’t wipe it off. Keep it in mind after what we’re about to do.”

“You mean our adventure?”

“ _Our_ adventure? Very good, monsieur. Very good. It’s _our_ adventure indeed. Now let’s get out of here before someone sees us.”

Katie and Drew made sounds of agreement, and for some reason Yuuri thought maybe they weren’t _supposed_ to do anything other than make sounds. Viktor was at the very least influential. He was in charge in a way he hadn’t been on the beach. Hell, he’d been _alone_ on the beach. This was a far cry from that. “Would it matter if someone saw us?” Yuuri asked.

“Us? As in me and those two? No,” Viktor said. “You, though? I already told you. It’s all about appearances, and right now you have plenty of appearances to keep up in public.”

“Isabella doesn’t like you,” Yuuri muttered before he could stop himself.

That set Viktor into another round of laughter. “I won’t lie, Isabella and I have history. But not the kind of history you might think. Forget about it for now, fish, and follow me to my vehicle! We’re going on a quest.”

“A quest?” Yuuri asked. A _quest_ sounded more definite than an adventure.

“Indeed. Last one there’s a rotten egg,” Viktor said, and started sprinting off for the parking lot.

Yuuri was stunned for a second, then tore off after him. Everything about this seemed outside his comfort zone, but… he still didn’t want to be a rotten egg.

Not in front of Viktor.


	8. Double Bubble Trouble

The traveling part of their quest didn’t last long. After maybe five minutes’ drive, Viktor pulled them into a little parking lot behind a strip mall. Yuuri figured it was meant for employees, but since it was well after working hours the place was deserted.

“Umm…” Yuuri began. “What are we doing here?”

“Waiting,” Viktor replied.

“For who?”

“You ask too many questions.” He patted Yuuri’s knee. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

The Katie girl leaned forward and said, “It’ll be fine, dude. He’ll take care of everything.” Yuuri watched closely as she settled back into her seat and tipped her head against the window. She took an unlit cigarette with a lipstick-smeared filter out of her purse and slid it between her lips.

“You smoke?” Yuuri asked. He’d never been around a smoker near his age, and he hoped he didn’t offend her with the question.

“Almost never,” she replied. “I just have… what’s it called again, V?”

“An oral fixation,” Viktor said. “In more ways than one, too.” He winked at Yuuri like he was supposed to understand what that meant, but he was too naïve to get the joke. Viktor frowned in response to Yuuri’s lack of response. “You have a lot to learn,” he said.

Yuuri looked down at the floorboards in embarrassment and absently noted the magazines from the other night were missing. He never did get a good look at them. For all he knew they could’ve been Playboys and Penthouses.

While he considered that, a stark black pickup with outrageously oversized wheels drove up alongside them. Its engine’s aggressive rumble was a far cry from the coupe’s smooth purr. The cab was so high up that Yuuri couldn’t even see the driver.

Viktor cranked down the driver’s side window and leaned his head out. He told the other driver something Yuuri couldn’t quite make out over the truck’s chugging engine, and a door slammed right after that—the passenger side of the truck, maybe?—and right after _that_ Yuuri felt the coupe’s trunk bang shut. He hadn’t noticed it open in the first place. He hadn’t even noticed the coupe _had_ a trunk.

The black truck’s door slammed again. Viktor popped a little salute out the window, and the monster revved even louder and sped away.

Viktor shut his window and drummed on the steering wheel, smiling proudly. “Step one’s over,” he said.

“Fuckin’ A.”

Yuuri jumped. It was the first time the boy in the backseat had spoken since giving out his name—Drew, or something like that.

“You got the good stuff this time, right?” Drew asked.

“Stuff?” Yuuri asked carefully.

“Of course,” Viktor replied, selectively ignoring Yuuri. “Only the best for an event like this.”

“An event?” Yuuri pressed.

“You don’t gotta grill V on everything he says,” Katie groused at him.

“It’s fine. He’s just curious,” Viktor said. “He’s not used to any of this.”

“But what is _this_?” Yuuri asked.

“We made a pick-up from a pickup truck,” Viktor said. “Now we’re making a delivery, and after that we’ll enjoy our quest rewards. Easy.”

Unease rose in Yuuri’s chest. “Please tell me this is legal. It’s not drugs, is it?”

“Hah! that’s quite a question,” Viktor said. “It might not be strictly legal, but I wouldn’t get you into too much trouble. The trunk is locked, little fish.”

Yuuri shook his head in the wrong kind of awe. He couldn’t believe he’d gotten mixed up with something illegal. “I should’ve listened to Isabella about you,” he said quietly.

“Isabella?” Katie echoed before Viktor could reply. “As in Isabella Yang? Fuck, don’t listen to that girl about anything. You’re better off with V.”

“I told you not to call me that,” Viktor snapped. “Anyway, he really is much better off with young Miss Yang. We’re bad news, aren’t we?”

“ _You’re_ bad news,” Drew said. “We’re just your VIP passes.”

“Oh, right, I’m the bad news. Not you two. I didn’t know my enablers offended that easily.”

“We’re not just your enablers,” Drew said. “But we’re still your VIP passes.”

“What’s going on here?” Yuuri broke in.

“I’m not using you two like that,” Viktor told Drew. “Well, at least not in a _bad_ way. We’re all getting something out of this, aren’t we?”

Yuuri tried again. “What’s going—“

“Both of you cool it!” Katie barked. “I swear to god, boys are idiots. Even you, V.”

Drew shoved her shoulder a little and said, “You’re calling your own brother a moron?”

Viktor shook his head fast. “No, no, no. I _told_ you not to call me V, Katie. I’ve told you a million times, you—“

“What the _fuck_ is going on!” Yuuri cried, and the car’s occupants fell quiet.

After a few moments, Viktor was first to break the silence. “You’re actually upset about this?”

“About being ignored and kept in the dark?” Yuuri asked. “Hell yes!”

“Oh.” Viktor reached over and patted Yuuri’s knee. “Maybe… Well, I get carried away sometimes. I thought I was being fun and spontaneous. Most kids are into that kind of thing.” He paused. “I mean… aren’t they? I am, at least.”

“Not me,” Yuuri said. “Not when we’re talking about _crimes_.”

“Crimes? Please, I was kidding about it being illegal. Well… mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“We’ve gotta get going, V,” Katie said. “They won’t be happy without their goodies. Might not even let you in with us.”

“Hush,” Viktor said, turning to her. “We’ll be on the road in a second, but the little fish is confused and angry and it seems to be my fault.” He shifted back to look at Yuuri, and in the span of a mere second his features softened. He looked almost like the boy Yuuri had met at the beach, but the dangerous glint in Viktor’s eyes kept him from becoming that boy entirely. It seemed he wore many faces. “I just thought you’d have fun tagging along. Like a welcoming party?”

Drew snorted. “Welcoming _party_ is right.”

Viktor waved him off. “Look, what I’m saying is I must have really screwed this up, and I’m sorry. I’ll take you back home as soon as we drop off our package, but only if you decide that’s what you want.”

“Of course it’s what I want!”

Viktor shook his head. “You might change your mind when we get there.”

“Where are we even going?”

“Sir Drew back there was correct,” Viktor said. “I meant it as a welcoming party in the literal sense. The bonfire was small-time.” He peered at Yuuri seriously for a few beats before a smirk appeared on his lips. “Have you ever been to a real house party?”

Yuuri looked away. “No, of course not. I’m barely a freshman.”

“Not anymore you’re not,” Katie snarked.

“What?”

“You’re a sophomore now, right?”

“How do you know that?”

“The whole school knows it,” she said. “You’re big news.”

Yuuri sunk lower in his seat. He didn’t know what he’d expected from his first crack at high school, but this really, really wasn’t it. He didn’t want to be big news to anyone.  “I guess Isabella told on me,” Yuuri muttered. Then, louder: “Anyway, no, I’ve never been to an honest to god house party, and I’m not sure I want to.”

“So you’re not sure?” Viktor asked coyly. “Then there’s still some hope left.”

“Hope for what?” Yuuri asked. “I just want to go home and forget tonight ever happened. I won’t tell anyone about your delivery, or whatever. I don’t know if it’s drugs or what, but—“

“It’s not drugs,” Viktor said.

“Then what?”

Viktor sighed. “Booze, little fish. It’s alcohol.”

“Can’t be,” Yuuri said. “You don’t have to pick booze up from a scary truck in a parking lot. There are liquor stores everywhere.”

“Let’s say it’s not the kind you can buy in stores.”

“Okay,” Yuuri said. “Then it’s _extra_ illegal.”

“I did tell you the trunk is locked. We’re _fine_. It’s just the price of entry.”

“To the party?” Yuuri rubbed at his temples. “Wonderful. And what was all that about VIP passes?”

“It’s our brother’s party,” Katie said. “And not the joker next to me, I mean our older one.”

“He’s a senior?”

Katie just chuckled without offering a reply.

“Fish,“ Viktor began. “We really have to go now. I’m sorry I dragged you along without telling you anything. I thought you’d like the excitement. But… promise me you’ll keep an open mind about things, even now. Once we get there I’m pretty sure you’ll want to stay.”

“I guess I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

“Let’s _go_ , V!” Katie urged.

“Right,” Viktor said. “Off to our destination! And don’t call me V.” He patted Yuuri’s knee again, but let his hand linger there this time. He looked him directly in the eyes. The dangerous glint evaporated. “I promise I’ll never do anything to hurt you. It’s just a party, okay?”

“Just a party,” Yuuri repeated, and he almost believed it, too.

Viktor nodded and shifted into drive, and Yuuri had to admit to himself: It really _did_ feel like an adventure after all.


	9. Future Starts Slow

Viktor had said plenty about Drew and Katie being their VIP passes, so Yuuri had expected getting inside would be a whole lot more difficult than it turned out to be. He hadn’t known what to expect from a house party. He’d thought there might even be bouncers.

In reality, it was nowhere near that organized. Cars lined both sides of the street in front of the house, though that was no surprise for a college neighborhood. Little houses cramped together don’t allow for much driveway space, especially when many of them are past legal occupancy to begin with.

And—to Yuuri’s horror—it really _was_ a college neighborhood, right on the edge of campus. As they’d driven deeper into the messy amalgamation of what passed as unofficial student housing, Yuuri had had a stomach-churning realization. Katie had laughed at him when he asked if her older brother was a senior. Now he knew her brother wasn’t a senior at all—and not even a high schooler. He was a college kid. They were on a crash course for a college party, and there was nothing Yuuri could do to stop it short of opening his door and rolling out onto the asphalt.

Yuuri heard the heavy bass of the party before they’d even turned the corner onto the last street. It hadn’t been hard to pick the house out on the block once he could see it. Blue light flooded out through the windows and open door, and a few kids stood out on the front porch smoking or drinking out of red Solo cups.

All the cars made it impossible to park properly, so while Yuuri stared wide-eyed at the exterior of the party, Viktor threw his coupe into park in the middle of the street.

Viktor must’ve seen Yuuri’s terrified expression in his reflection on the window, because he brought his hand to Yuuri’s shoulder and squeezed it gently.

The small gesture was exactly what Yuuri needed. It was just like the night on the beach three days ago, when Viktor had left his hand on Yuuri’s shoulder the whole time they discussed their situation. They weren’t alone on the beach now, though, and after Yuuri’d had only a short moment to meet Viktor’s eyes, Drew kicked the back of his seat and Viktor abruptly pulled his hand away.

“Hey, calm down,” Viktor said. “I’ll let us out.”

“Took you long enough.”

“Chill out, dumbass,” Katie chided. “V’s gonna let us out whenever he’s gonna let us out. Give him time to do… I dunno, whatever it is that he does.”

“We don’t _have_ time,” Drew said. He jabbed his finger at the clock on the dashboard. “We were supposed to have that stuff here fifteen minutes ago.”

“They won’t care if we’re a little late,” Katie said.

“Really?” Drew asked. “Wanna test that theory?”

“Hey!” Viktor barked. “The boy’s right. There’s no time for bickering from either one of you.” He opened his door and got out, then motioned for Yuuri to do the same.

Yuuri exited the coupe almost on autopilot. His eyes felt glued to the front of the house, and he felt all too young in the face of it. He knew he didn’t look old enough to pass for a college student, nor was he mature enough to act like one. The puzzled expressions on a guy and a girl watching him from the porch only confirmed that for him.

Katie and Drew ratcheted the front seats forward and climbed out into the open night.

“Can we really just park here?” Katie asked.

“Just for a second,” Viktor said. “I’ll find somewhere else for it. For now...” He tossed his keys at Drew, who deftly caught them as opposed to Yuuri’s complete fumble at the beach. “Go ahead and open her up.”

Drew nodded and unlocked the trunk. For all the things Yuuri was feeling, he was first and foremost intent on finding out exactly what kind of contraband they’d smuggled in Viktor’s car. He walked a little to the back and peeked inside to see a plain cardboard box filled with mason jars.

“What’re those?” he asked.

“Alcohol,” Drew said shortly. He hefted the box and slammed the trunk shut without bothering to lock it.

“What kind of alcohol comes in jars?”

“He really _is_ a little fish, isn’t he?” Katie said. The nickname sounded wrong coming from her. “Maybe we shouldn’t have brought him.”

Viktor clucked his tongue. “Don’t doubt me. I know he’s a little fish now, but I want to put him in a bigger tank. Show him a good time.”

Katie sighed heavily. “I guess we can, but no guarantees my brother will let him stay up past his bedtime.” She dug around in her pockets, apparently looking for something but coming up empty. “You got a light, V?”

“Only if you stop calling me V.” He pulled a cheap Bic lighter out of his own pocket and handed it to her with a smirk. “Don’t tell me you’re finally going to smoke that cigarette.”

“Planning on it. Tonight calls for it, I think.” She bit her lip for a moment—cig in one hand and lighter in the other—before continuing. “You’ve been waiting for me to light this up for a really long time, right? Ever since we got to know each other? Guess it’s your lucky day.” She put the lipstick-stained cigarette into her mouth, cupped her hand to protect the lighter from the wind, and sparked it to life. She breathed in deeply to light the cig, and came back coughing and sputtering.

Drew actually smiled at that, which was a look Yuuri had never expected to see on him. “If you’re trying to show off,” he said, “you’re failing hardcore.”

“Shut up, dumbass,” she choked out. “I just got too much of it in my lungs.”

“That’s the point, _dumbass_ ,” Drew said, still grinning. “Worst smoker ever.”

Katie flipped him the bird.

Viktor cleared his throat. “You said yourself we’re running late. Better stop arguing and bring in the product.”

Drew nodded. “C’mon, Kate.” He started walking toward the house, then stopped about a foot onto the lawn. He looked back over his shoulder at Viktor. “What do we do with the fish?”

“He’s going with you, of course.”

“What?” Yuuri gasped. “I can’t just—“

“Of course you can,” Viktor said. “Just from your eyes I can tell you don’t want me to take you back to your bike. Or am I wrong?”

Yuuri’s chest tightened. In all honesty, he hadn’t even thought of his bike as an option after they’d entered the neighborhood. Everything had felt so locked in by then. But now, standing in the street between Viktor’s car and an honest-to-god college party, he actually could ask to just go back to the mall and forget all of it ever happened. Maybe he’d have a laugh with Isabella about it and apologize to her for not taking her advice about the mysterious boy drinking by himself out on the dunes.

Then again: This was out of character for him to say the least, but he had to admit he could feel his curiosity getting the better of him. What would a real college party be like? He knew he wouldn’t have an opportunity to find out for years if he wimped out and went back to his bike. He knew he’d regret missing it, and if it went badly it’d just be one night and then over and done with. But more importantly, for some reason he didn’t want to disappoint Viktor, and the ride to the mall would surely be fraught with disappointment.

Given that, it turned out the decision wasn’t difficult at all.

“When will you be back?” he asked.

Viktor shrugged in return. “It depends when I find a spot.” Now that he was sure Yuuri was staying, he was smiling in a soft, authentic way that once again reminded Yuuri of the night of the bonfire. “I’ll be back for you, okay? I’ll never be far away when you need me.”

“Never?” Yuuri asked, a little taken aback by his choice of words.

“That’s right,” Viktor said. “Not just tonight.”

“But why?”

Viktor’s smile fell into a ponderous straight line. “You just interest me. Anyway, go inside and stay with the twins until you meet their brother. After that get some beer or make yourself a drink if there’s liquor. Socialize if you want, or not, it’s up to you. I’ll be around eventually.”

Yuuri was still trying to find the words to properly express his response when Drew and Katie started yelling at him to get moving.

“Go,” Viktor said. “I’ll see you soon, fish.” With that, he climbed into his car, shut the door, and drove off, leaving Yuuri standing in the street in confusion.

He felt very alone there until Drew called out to him. “Are you coming or what? This shit is heavy!”

Yuuri blinked at Viktor’s taillights as they disappeared around the corner. He guessed he wouldn’t be seeing his bike for a while now. He’d officially made his choice, and even knowing he was probably biting off more than he could chew, he couldn’t let the chance pass him by. He was too curious. Nervous as hell, but curious. He also knew he would regret leaving Viktor’s circle before he even got in. Drew and Katie didn’t exactly seem to be close friends of his, and Yuuri still wanted to meet his real ones. He’d just have to survive the night.

So, with Viktor out of sight, he ran off after the twins and their heavy box of mason jars.


	10. Play With Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there everyone! I realize it's been somewhere around half a year since I last updated this story (I'm honestly not sure 'cause I'm too bummed about that fact to look up the dates) but life has been a bit messy for me. Luckily all that is out of the way now, so I'm picking up right where I left off. Expect regular updates now, and welcome back to anyone who's still subscribed from ages ago when I started this... assuming any of you are still out there. Say hi in the comments if you are and It'll make my entire life. Say hi if you're new too! I love comments. Anyway, please enjoy the rebirth of Nights Like These. There's more coming soon.

Getting inside the party was easy enough. The closest thing to the bouncers Yuuri had imagined were those random kids on the front porch, and despite their perplexed stares as he passed them—his head down and cheeks burning—they didn’t say a word to him, or to Drew or Katie for that matter. The trio climbed the steps, pushed past them, and disappeared into the open front door. The inside was all lit with dark blue floodlights. Yuuri was briefly thankful for that, since he wouldn’t look so young if no one could make out his face.

That thought only lasted a moment, though, as he became more and more aware of how incredibly _short_ he was compared to everyone else. He was midway through a growth spurt, sure, but only midway, and he was pretty small to begin with. He must’ve been the shortest guy in the entire party, which was saying something given the sheer quantity of late-teen-early-twenties kids packed together in every rooms and hallway. The place clearly wasn’t up to fire code.

The twins led Yuuri through the main living room and through another open door, this time opening into the kitchen.

“Fucking finally!” a guy burst out as soon as they entered. “You’re late.”

“Be glad we’re here at all,” Katie snapped. “We brought your stuff.”

“I have eyes,” the guy snapped right back.

Yuuri’s eyes widened when he saw him. He was huge, at least 6’4”, and built like a linebacker. The kitchen lights were normal white ones, so Yuuri had a clear view of how utterly jacked he was. He could absolutely snap Yuuri in half if he wanted to. On top of that, he had a beard of heavy stubble that made him look less like a college boy and more like a full grown man. To say Yuuri felt intimidated by him would be putting it lightly.

Drew dropped the heavy box of alcohol on a counter, knocking bottles and red plastic cups aside. One of the bottles crashed to the ground and rolled across the room, its contents spilling out in a long trail as it went.

The guy stopped it with his foot, then kicked it hard. It slammed into Drew’s shoe. “Don’t spill shit in my house,” he said.

Drew responded by abruptly breaking the bottle with a heavy stomp. Yuuri backed away from the display until his sneakers made contact with the wall behind him.

Katie tracked his retreat with her eyes without bothering to turn her head. She said, “Relax. Brotherly love knows no bounds,” then switched her attention back to Drew and the guy, apparently the older brother they’d mentioned before. “Good seeing you, Theo.”

Theo scratched the back of his buzzed haircut. He didn’t appear overly concerned about the broken glass. “Yeah, been a while. That a new piercing?”

“A new one and two others.”

Theodore squinted at her to scan her face. “I see two, I think… what’s the other one?”

Katie crossed her arms. “Are you sure you want to know?”

Theo snorted. “Not if it’s somewhere I can’t see. It’s better to keep me in the dark.”

His sister imitated his snort and said, “Then you’ll stay in the dark. But hey, don’t I get a hug or something?”

“You? Asking for a hug? Hilarious.”

“Glad you got the joke,” Katie said. “But look, I’ve got something you’re not going to like. You said you’d owe us a favor for bringing the goods, right?”

“Maybe if you’d brought them _on time_ ,” Theo shot back.

“Get over yourself, Theodore. Anyway…” She paused. “You must be drunk, right?”

“How could you tell?”

“Because you’re _always_ drunk,” Drew cut in.

“He’s not wrong,” Katie said. “But I’m mostly sure ‘cause you haven’t noticed our plus one.”

“Plus one?” Theo echoed. “That Viktor kid? No, haven’t seen him.”

“We have _another_ plus one. On your left.”

Yuuri suddenly wished he could melt through the wall. He swallowed hard and straightened up as confidently as he could, but he felt just about the opposite of confident even as he put on his best brave face.

“My left…?” Theo began. Confusion crossed his features as his sight fell on Yuuri before his jaw tightened and the confusion transformed to displeasure to the nth degree. “This another one of your jokes, Kit-Kat?”

Katie sighed. “I wish, but no, he’s our second plus one.”

“You don’t get two plus ones. That’s why they’re called plus ones.”

“Okay, so our plus one is V, and this is V’s plus one. Happy?”

“More like fucking irate,” Theo said, burning daggers into Yuuri. “How old is this summer child? You do realize you brought him to a kegger?”

“Oh, I’m well aware.”

“Really? ‘Cause it seems like you think I’m running a day care here, not a kegger.” He squinted at Yuuri. “Before I kick you out, what’s your name?”

“Who cares?” Drew said. “He’s a nobody. I got no clue what Viktor’s smoking tonight to bring him here.”

“Whatever it is it must be good shit.” Theo shook his head. “Sad to say, I’m not smoking it myself. I’m sorry, kid, but you’ve gotta get lost before somebody calls the cops.”

Katie arched her gilded brow. “ _That’s_ the logic you’re using? He could call the cops on you just as easily.”

Theo frowned. “I’m twenty-one in two weeks.”

“Still illegal,” Katie said.

“Okay, but…” He scratched the back of his head again. “I was doing you little shits a big favor agreeing to let you and Viktor in. This is… what’s it called? A bridge too far. It’s a bridge way too far.”

Drew cleared his throat pointedly.

“Something to say?” Theo asked without looking away from Yuuri, who was frozen in fear and was apparently rendered mute.

“Yeah, uh… Viktor told me if you don’t let him stay I’m supposed to take the party favors back,” Drew said.

Theo whipped his head over to his brother. “What?! Fuck’s sake. Where is he, anyway? I have some questions for that joker.”

“He’s parking,” Drew said simply.

Yuuri had calmed a little with Theo’s attention turned elsewhere, and he was now very aware that the half dozen or so kids in the kitchen were all looking straight at him. He was beginning to give serious consideration to bolting out the front door and never looking back when, painfully, Theo trained his eyes on him again.

“Well,” Theo said. “How old is he?”

Drew and Katie didn’t reply.

“Fine then,” Theo muttered. “You. Kid. How old are you?”

Yuuri took a breath and said, “I’m a freshman.”

“Ha! Don’t mess with me. You don’t go here.”

“He’s telling the truth,” Katie said. “He’s a freshman. Just the wrong kind of freshman.”

Theo took that in in stunned silence. Various expressions shifted around his face as he mulled everything over. If not for the bass booming in the next room anyone in the kitchen could’ve heard a pin drop.

“So what do we do?” Drew finally asked, breaking the silence.

Theo shook his head. “The shit Viktor got… I really want that shit. The whole fraternity wants that shit. It’s good shit.”

“And?” Katie prodded.

Theo sighed heavily and let his muscles relax. “I hate this, but I guess you were right before. Most everyone here is underage, so I guess I’d be a dick to kick him out based on that. And my frat brothers won’t be happy with me if I don’t deliver Viktor’s shit.” He paused again.

Yuuri felt like he was on the verge of a full-blown heart attack, but he still couldn’t speak or move. He was in too much dread.

“Fuck it! You can stay,” Theo said. “Just promise you won’t do anything stupid.”

“Stupid…?” Yuuri asked, finding his voice again.

“Theo,” Katie said firmly. “Look at him. He’s a square. The worst he can do is puke on his shoes after his first sip.”

“Sip?” Yuuri asked. “I don’t think drinking is—“

“Whoa whoa whoa,” Theo said. “Toddler or not, if you’re here, you’re drinking. I’m giving you an opportunity, so if you don’t take advantage of it I really _will_ kick you out on your ass.”

“And a kick from him would break your tailbone,” Katie noted.

“She’s right. You don’t want a broken tailbone, do you?”

Yuuri blinked. His mind was starting to work again after being locked tight in fear. This was just a party. Sure, it was a college party, but parties are parties, right? And he’d had a bit to drink at the bonfire. Nothing about the situation felt safe to him yet, but he also knew Viktor would be coming soon, and something told him he’d be perfectly safe with his new friend around. Plus, this was only for one night. He forced a smile. “I don’t want any broken bones. I’ll drink.”

“Is this even his idea?” Theo asked his siblings. “He doesn’t seem to want to… No, never mind, screw it, I haven’t done any good deeds lately, so I’m gonna set him up for a good time. Why not. Want a night to remember?”

It would’ve been a night to remember whether he’d stayed or not, but Yuuri nodded anyway. He was giving in to so many new experiences lately, what was one more? “Why not?”

Theo grinned. “Good boy. Beer? Or something stronger?”

“Uh…” Yuuri glanced over at the two kegs and assortment of bottles clustered on cheap folding tables by the window. He’d had beer at the bonfire, but on a night like this it felt like beer would be a cop-out. Besides, Viktor would probably be impressed if he went for the strong stuff, and, for whatever reason, impressing Viktor still sounded pretty important to him. He’d get messed up fast, but Viktor would take care of him. What had he said in the car? _I’ll never be far away when you need me._ “I’ll have something stronger,” he said.

“What kind of stronger?” Theo asked.

“Uh. Whatever you think is good, I guess.”

“Hoo boy, now you’re playing with fire,” Katie teased.

“Bartender’s choice, then? I like it. You’re braver than I thought, toddler or not. You were shaking like a damn leaf until now, but something changed.”

“I was just adjusting. I’m good now,” Yuuri said, and though it boggled his mind to realize it, he really _was_ good. He was along for the ride. Once Viktor arrived he’d go from _good_ to _great_ , and then maybe he’d actually have a great night.

“I think I misjudged you,” Theo said ponderously. “Wait a half a sec. I’ll make you a drink, but I can’t stick around after.”

“ _Playing. With. Fire_ ,” Katie repeated.

Yuuri shrugged at her. He was okay with playing with fire if it was just for one night.

He took a filled-to-the-brim Solo cup from Theo a few moments later. He peered at it. The liquid was yellowish and entirely lukewarm. He’d expected ice.

“You just gonna stare at it all day?” Theo said.

Yuuri shrugged again. He raised the cup to his lips and took a bigger swallow than he’d meant to. To everyone’s surprise including his own, he didn’t gag at all.

“Heh.” Theo clapped him on the shoulder. He had to lean down to do it, and it didn’t feel anything like when Viktor had done the same, but it did make him feel kind of cool in a rite of passage way. “I don’t know anybody in the world who wouldn’t choke on that drink their first time trying it. I really did misjudge you. Ya got promise.”

Yuuri smiled weakly. “Promise for what?”

“The future, big shot. When you’re _really_ in college and not just pretending.”

The _big shot_ took another drink. “It tastes like pineapple and paint thinner,” he said.

“It might as well be paint thinner,” Katie added gravely. Then, without much of a pause she asked Theo, “You still have that PS4 in your bedroom, right?”

Theo cocked his head at her. “You don’t wanna party?”

“No way in hell,” she replied.

“Same for me,” Drew said. “We’re just here on account of Viktor.”

“What, he has that much sway over you?”

“He has that much sway over everyone,” Drew said.

Before Yuuri could contemplate what he’d meant by that, a girl near him buckled over and vomited on the floor. The scene distracted him so much that, by the time he could look away, Katie and Drew had quietly disappeared to find Theo’s PS4, and Theo himself was exiting the kitchen with some sorority girl.

He was abruptly alone, people were _still_ staring at him in the harsh lights, and he still felt very, very short.

He took another swallow for courage and forged into the blue-drowned living room.


End file.
